Human Rights Center Appeals to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions With Regard to Akhmed Chataev’s Case

Elene Chumburidze

On November 20, Human Rights Center held press-conference about convicted Akhmed Chataev. Citizen of Russian Federation from North Caucasus, Akhmed Chataev, was acting as a mediator during the special operation in Lopota Gorge. Witnesses claim Chataev was brought from Tbilisi to negotiate with Chechen paramilitaries.

The negotiation failed. During Georgian riot police’s special operation Georgian law enforcement officers wounded Akhmed Chataev in the leg; it was unexpected for him. Wounded Chataev was hiding in the forest during several days; meanwhile his wound worsened. Finally he reached the Georgian state border and surrendered to Georgian frontier officers. Chataev’s wounded leg was amputated; after the operation he was arrested.

Akhmed Chataev, 32, has been in pretrial detention since September 18. His health conditions are poor. It is noteworthy that one of his hands was also amputated in the past.

Akhmed Chataev is accused of illegal carriage of explosives. Head of Legal Aid Center at Human Rights Center Nino Andriashvili protects his rights. There is no valid evidence in case materials which could prove guiltiness of Chataev. There are only frontiers’ testimonies against him. However, ICK and TV9 obtained video-recording from the frontiers where they confessed that Constitutional Security Department had compelled them to write testimonies. Those video-recordings were published on October 25.

At the press-conference, Nino Andriashvili spoke about violations by prosecutor’s office: “We petitioned to the prosecutor’s office on October 25 and requested them to start investigation on compelling frontier officers to give fake testimonies because it was a new crime. Videos of ICK and TV9 showed that frontiers admit that they had been compelled to write false testimonies and Akhmed Chataev in fact did not have any explosives with him.”

According to Nino Andriashvili, prosecutor’s office has not yet interrogated frontiers and journalists of ICK and TV9, who had talked with frontiers. The lawyer said the prosecutor’s office was obliged to start investigation based on their petition.

Ucha Nanuashvili, executive director of Human Rights Center: “Although significant positive changes took place in the country, details of special operation in Lopota Gorge are not yet investigated. Human Rights Center states that Akhmed Chataev is innocent and he is in arbitrary imprisonment. Our lawyer has petitioned to the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office and requested to change preventive measure – imprisonment into bail but they refused.”

Ayob Borchashvili, relative of Akhmed Chataev: “According to our information, neither Akhmed Chataev, nor other boys who were in the Gorge, expected Georgian side to open fire at them. We are also surprised about this accident.”

Akhmed Chataev received refugee status in Austria and he has two limbs amputated. These circumstances are additional grounds of his release.

HRC has already petitioned to the UN mandated Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions and several special rapporteurs of the UN.