Political Rivals Arrested in Georgia

Mamuka Paniashvili, one of the candidates for Gori Mayors, was arrested on the 4th of September. Local police illegally tried to take him to a military service by force. After four hours of arrest and active involvement of media, it turned out that law enforcers were mistaken and Peniashvili was arrested illegally. After that, policemen were forced to free him.

Such facts, when police arrests citizens and only then starts to investigate are they guilty or not, often take place in Georgia. Peniashvili told to the journalist of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre that his arrest was a political step.

Mamuka Paniashvili: I was surrounded by the cars of military police, when I came out of my house at 9 o’clock in the morning. They forced me to sit in the car and took me to the military Commissionaire. They told me, that I should take obligatory military service. I tried to explain them, that according to Georgian legislation, I was paying to state to avoid military service and that I could show them the documents. However, they did not listen to me as they had a task to arrest me.

Journalist: How do you think, who gave them this task and why?

M.P. : Aleko Sukhitashvili, the former military procurer and current deputy of the Minister of Defense and Mikheil Kareli, governer of Shida Kartli gave this task to Gori military commissioner. If they could take me to serve in Georgian military service, I would not be able to take part in the elections.

Local elections will take place on the 5th of October. Two days before his arrest, Peniashvili declared that he was going to participate in the elections. Local and regional press wrote that he is a strong candidate for the post of Gori Mayor and that he has support from people.

According to Paniashvili, he was transferred to Tbilisi after the arrest, where he was forced to make medical research. “My parents submitted all documents that I had a right not to go to the military service and that I was arrested illegally. Journalists also got involved in my case and later they had to free me. They said, that they were mistaken. I was arrested for more then four hours”.

Although, Mamuka Paniashvili is 24 years old and he is obliged to serve in military service. However, according to the new law “About Obligatory Military Service”, individuals, can postpone their serving in the period of two years and pay two hundred GEL. Paniashvili is in the category, who has paid fine and is able not to go to military service until December.

There is another interesting detail. Paniashvili has a twin brother Kakha, who is also obliged to serve. He has also paid money, although law enforcers have not paid any attention to him. That is why, Mamuka Paniashvili thinks that his arrest was connected with his political activities.

Eka Gulua