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Judgment of the Appeal Court into Advocate Giorgi Mdinaradze’s case will encourage violence from the side of police officers

March 15, 2018
 
Human Rights Center is alarmed with the decision of the Judge Manuchar Kapanadze of the Tbilisi Appeal Court, who upheld the decision of the judge Lili Mskhiladze at the Tbilisi City Court. 

It is a pity that the Appeal Court, in fact, justified the violence against the advocate in the police office and encouraged the police officers to continue violence. 

On October 23, 2017 the Tbilisi City Court passed verdict into the case of physical assault on the lawyer Giorgi Mdinaradze and imposed only the fine of GEL 10 000 on the accused Lasha Kvirkvaia. The Court found the former head of the Vake-Saburtalo district police unit guilty only in the abuse of power and acquitted him in the charge about violence. The prosecutor’s office and the accused person appealed the decision at the Appeal Court. The prosecutor’s office requested to impose graver charge on the accused person – the prosecutor supported the initial accusation, based on which Lasha Kvirkvaia was accused of physical assault on the advocate. The plaintiff Lasha Kvirkaia claimed the Appeal Court to fully acquit him. 

Former head of the Vake-Saburtalo police office # 5 Lasha Kvirkvaia was arrested for the abuse of professional power in November 2015. On December 29, 2015 the court released him under the bail of GEL 10 000. Based on the October 23, 2017 verdict, the Tbilisi City Court ordered the payment of the same 10 000 GEL as a preventive measure. 

The decision of the Tbilisi Appeal Court with regard to Advocate Giorgi Mdinaradze’s case raises threats for the advocates and human rights defenders who arrive at the police units to carry out their duties, as they may become subjects of harassment from police officers.  

Human Rights Center 
 

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