Akhaltsikhe District Court Justified Jehovah Witness

Natia Gogolashvili

Akhaltsikhe district court found Jehovah witness Lela Shvelidze not guilty. Humanrights.ge published an article about the criminal case launched against her several weeks ago. 

Lela Shvelidze was charged under Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that refers to the “beating or other violence.” The victim in the case was Zina Zedgenidze-Nanua, resident of Aspindza. Judge Giorgi Londaridze announced non-guilty judgment on Lela Shvelidze at the January 15 trial. Lawyer of Human Rights Center Tamar Avaliani defended Lela Shvelidze’s interests at the court.

Before the judgment was announced, the defense side and prosecutor made final statements. The defense side alleged about religious intolerance and stated that Lela Shvelidze was charged because she is member of the religious minority. Prosecutor Otar Sandodze did not mention her religious affiliations at all and absolutely excluded all connections of the charge with her religion. 

The only witness in the case declared at the court hearing that he did not witness the fact at all because he was not there. Before making the testimony at the trial, witness Giorgi Gorelishvili told humanrights.ge that he did not know anything about the incident. “I was drunk during interrogation at the police. They [law enforcement officers] wrote the testimony and made me to sign it. I did not see anything. I was very drunk when they came in the evening and took me to the police station. As I remember they took me from the street. To tell the truth I do not remember details. Next day, they came to my work and read the testimony; they said nothing would happen if I sign it,” Giorgi Gorelashvili said.

In his final statement the prosecutor said that according to the testimony Gorelishvili had witnessed the incident between Ninua and Shvelidze from the distance of 100 meters that was almost impossible.

According to the Shvelidze’s lawyers, the judge passed fair judgment. They said it was impossible to find the woman guilty.

“The trial demonstrated that the prosecutor’s office imposed charge on Shvelidze based on subjective motives. Signs of religious discrimination were observed in the case. The lawyers provided all arguments to prove groundlessness of the prosecutor’s office charge,” Tamar Avaliani of Human Rights Center said.

It is noteworthy that on January 12 Samtskhe Javakheti regional prosecutor’s office launched investigation into the alleged abuse of power by the officers of the Aspindza district police department, who conducted investigation into Shvelidze’s case. The investigation was launched under Article 333 Part I of the Criminal Code of Georgia.  

According to Tamar Avaliani, she requested at the trial to launch investigation against prosecutor Otar Sandodze too. “We underlined that the prosecutor Otar Sandodze is the person, who compelled Lela Shvelildze to agree on deviation. He tried to mislead the person and tried to convince it would not create any problems for her. The prosecutor did not clarify to Shvelidze what kind of mechanism the deviation is. When you offer deviation to an innocent person, it is violation and abuse.”

In addition, Tamar Avaliani said the regional prosecutor’s office shall not investigate the alleged abuse of power by the officers of the Aspindza district department because it will not be impartial process. The lawyer claims the Chief Prosecutor’s Office should study the case.

Photo by the newspaper Samkhretis Karibche

The released accused person and her supporters after the trial