Statement of Human Rights Center on Arbitrary Imprisonment of Irakli Okruashvili

Human Rights Center demands to grant political prisoner’s status to former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili and release from imprisonment.

On November 20, 2012 Irakli Okruashvili returned to Georgia from political immigration and appeared at the court after the group working on the issue of political prisoners inserted him on the list of political refugees. Before that, the working group petitioned to the parliament to drop criminal persecution against several political refugees and Irakli Okruashvili was on that list.

Although the parliament had not passed final decision on political refugees by November 20, Irakli Okruashvili appeared at the trial hoping the legislative body would pass logic decision and release him from imprisonment together with other political prisoners. In accordance to the procedural law, Irakli Okruashvili was placed in the penitentiary establishment on November 20 because he was sentenced to imprisonment in absence. Later, the parliament removed him from the list of politically displaced people justifying its decision by Irakli Okruashvili’s return from political immigration. At the same time, in the resolution passed by the Parliament of Georgia on December 5, 2012 Irakli Okruashvili was not mentioned among those political prisoners, who were amnestied together with politically displaced people and were released from imprisonment.
 
The parliament clarified that the working group still continues working on the issue and will study cases of the people who were not inserted on the list of political prisoners and political refugees. Among them is case of Irakli Okruashvili. However, it is noteworthy that the term of the working group acting in conjunction with the parliament, expires on January 5. So, it is unclear how it will continue working and whether this amnesty will impact those political prisoners, who stayed in prison.

Human Rights Center kindly reminds the society that criminal case was launched against Irakli Okruashvili on political grounds. He was arrested in November of 2007 after he had made a speech at a large-scale protest demonstration in Tbilisi. Before that, the government and law enforcement bodies had nothing against him. Soon after his detention, the investigation team obtained his confession statement through intimidation and psychological oppression. As a result Okruashvili was not arrested; soon the government allowed him even to cross the state border.

Although national court sentenced Irakli Okruashvili to imprisonment when he was in immigration, in parallel to this judgment of the Georgian judiciary and based on aforementioned circumstances, French Court found Irakli Okruashvili a political refugee and gave a political shelter to him in France.

Thus, nowadays Irakli Okruashvili is a political prisoner because his imprisonment relies on the criminal case fabricated based on the “evidence” obtained through intimidation and psychological oppression.

Human Rights Center believes that after Okruashvili’s imprisonment, the Parliament of Georgia had to grant him status of a political prisoner. His removal from the list is unfair decision particularly when he already enjoyed status of a political refugee granted by the working group and the French Court before arriving in Georgia and his imprisonment.

In his conversation with the representative of Human Rights Center Irakli Okruashvili noted that he was bewildered with the parliament’s decision and demands release from imprisonment.

Human Rights Center calls upon:

The working group acting with the Parliament of Georgia – to timely discuss case of Irakli Okruashvili and demand his, as a political prisoner ‘s release from imprisonment;

The prosecutor’s office of Georgia – to stop criminal prosecution against Irakli Okruashvili that relies on politically motivated decision and illegally obtained evidence.

Human Rights Center