Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

The police planted a Makarov active bullet in the handbag of the Kakheti regional Newspaper ‘Imedi’ correspondent while she was interviewing the police agent in the yard of Regional Court building. Having planted the bullet the policeman Gial Lomidze insisted to search her bag. The incident was witnessed by Khatuna Gogashvili, correspondent for Radio ‘Hereti’.

Later Marina Gogoladze did find the bullet in her bag in the presence of several witnesses, thus she appealed to the Lagodekhi Police Department and produced the proof as well. The criminal case was launched only after the ‘Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre’, Public Defender’s Office and journalists had got interested in the case.

During the preliminary investigation the policeman Gia Lomidze tried to blackmail Marina Gogoladze several times. He even sent mediators to her house; among them was certain Khvicha Djashiashvili, official at the Interior Ministry having worked at the Lagodekhi Police Department before.

In the case if the appeal were not withdrawn from the police Marina Gogoladze was threatened to be killed. The police threaten her family too. “Despite the criminal case was launched on the fact on the 24th July, Marina Gogoladze is still interrogated as a witness and is not marked as a victim, however she was morally hurt. Initially the case was investigated by the Gurjaani regional Prosecutor’s Office, but later it was demanded by the Kakheti Regional Prosecutor’s Investigation Department”- they state at ‘Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre’ Kakheti office.

The reason for this transfer is, according to Kakheti Regional Deputy Prosecutor, Vazha Maghradze, the fact that Gurjaani Prosecutor, Giorgi Shaishmelashvili is too busy and the case will be further investigated by Avtandil Zubashvili, the investigator. When we got in touch with the later to comment the fact, he insulted and called us impolite. It later became clear that the case was put under his charge after we had got interested in it and he did not want to confess the fact.

According to human rights defenders the prosecutor considers the case as a minor one and does its best to avoid Gia Lomidze’s punishment. “Besides that Gia Lomidze stays at his position and the most surprising is having no accused in the case”-says Gogoladze’s lawyer Giorgi Fenashvili.

Gia Lomidze does not comment the journalist’s charges against him; Gogoladze wants to be marked as a victim in the case and demands the policeman to be punished. Gogoladze is about to appeal to Prosecutor General against Kakheti Regional Prosecutor’s Office one of these days.

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