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Citizen claims he was physically assaulted in police office

October 10, 2014
 
Nino Akhobadze 

On October 8, Human Rights Centre, Article 42 of the Constitution and Public Defender held press-conference with regard to the physical assault of Giorgi Tsomaia by police officers in the Vake-Saburtalo district police office; representatives of the nongovernmental organizations presented expertise conclusions conducted into the case. 

Expertise conclusion conducted on Tsomaia’s t-shirt by Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau reads: “On Giorgi Tsomaia’s t-shirt we detected fragment of weak blackish trace (print) which is similar to the shoe sole with its shape and form.”   

According to Tsomaia, on August 14, in the midnight he was physically assaulted in Vake-Saburtalo district police office N2. He applied to police unit and asked police officer on duty to return his cell-phone which police had seized from him during previous imprisonment. 

Giorgi Tsomaia clarified that a man in police unit rudely called him “greenhorn” and asked why he had applied to the police during night hours.  As Tsomaia stated eleven persons (supposedly, they were all police officers) beat him in police office. 

On the same night Tsomaia was arrested and placed in the temporary detention setting. 

Giorgi Tsomaia was accused of the assault on police officer and was imprisoned. A knife appears in the case and as charging side states this very knife was used by Tsomaia against police. Biological expertise of the knife conducted at Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau could not find Tsomaia’s finger prints on the knife: “Genetic profiles detected on the knife are admixed and belong to more than one person of masculine sex. Giorgi Tsomaia’s genetic participation is excluded.” 

According to the same conclusion, “Giorgi Tsomaia has injuries, which were caused by hard and blunt subject.” 

Giorgi Tsomaia’s legal rights are defended by privet lawyer together with Tamar Avaliani, head of Legal Aid Center at Human Rights Centre: “We received three conclusions from Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau. As soon as we received new testimonies we addressed to investigation and provided them with three conclusions. We also requested to start investigation and punish perpetrators, supposedly police officers. Investigation must establish perpetrators, but it’s hard to believe that other people besides police officers were in the police office at night of August 14. Currently Giorgi Tsomaia is in penitentiary detention setting N8 and serves his term for attacking police office without weapon and for insulting eleven police officers. Expertise conclusions contradict this version”. 

Human Rights Centre executive director, Aleko Tskitishvili: “We call on MIA and Prosecutor’s Office to study Giorgi Tsomaia’s case and punish officers, who participated in the physical assault. Human Rights Centre defends Giorgi Tsomaia’s legal rights. We addressed corresponding ministries but haven’t received relevant reaction, except the official comment from MIA, where they accuse Giorgi Tsomaia in the incident. 

Human Rights Centre, Article 42 of the Constitution and Public Defender call on MIA and Prosecutor’s Office to immediately study the case and punish every person who participated in this process. 

Executive director of the Article 42 of the Constitution Nino Elbakidze: “Article 42 of the Constitution joins nongovernmental organizations and call on corresponding ministries to study this case, and impose relevant punishments on perpetrators.” 

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