25-day Imprisonment for Protecting Political Prisoners and Freedom of Expression

Three members of “Egalitarian Institute” - Davit Dalakishvili, Jaba Jishkariani and Levan Gogichaishvili are arrested. They have been sentenced to 25-day imprisonment by Tbilisi City Court. The reason of the arrest is the violation of public order and blocking the entrance of the General Prosecution Office. Human rights defenders evaluate this fact as the campaign against the freedom of Expression.

The above mentioned persons had been arrested for the same reason for several times. The story of their imprisonment is the same every time – participation in the street actions to protect political prisoners and freedom of expression, loud announcements, etc. The reason of the recent imprisonment was the same: On 12 June, Members of “Egalitarian Institute” brought Official letter to the State Chancellery. The letter demanded the public information on salaries for the former high ranking officials of the Interior Ministry, who have been interrogated as witnesses on the case of murder of Sandro Girgvliani. These people are Dato Akhalaia, Alexander Melnikov, Guram Donadze and Vasil Sanodze. At present they are fired from their posts, though, there is information that unofficially they still continue working in the Interior Ministry. A friend of murdered Sandro Girgvliani recognized one of those persons – Vasil Sanodze and at a trial declared that when Sandro was tortured, Sanodze also was there. Though after this declaration, Sanodze was only fired from his post.

For more then a year, family of the murdered Girgvliani is urging that those people are the participators in the murder. The family is demanding their punishment, but in vain. Some days ago, Sandro Girgvliani’s family sent the case to the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Since the murder that happened on 27 January, 2006, “Egalitarian Institute”, oppositional parties, NGOs have been holding permanent protest actions demanding the punishment of the murderers. Every action has ended with the arrest and imprisonment of the activists. Among them are the members of “Egalitarian Institute”.

For now, their imprisonment is connected with the case of politic prisoner Irakli Batiashvili. After the members of “Egalitarian Institute” brought the letter to the State Chancellery, they moved to the office of General Prosecution and held Irakli Batiashvili’s supporting action. Police demanded to clear up the territory, though, the participants did not give in and after that, they have been arrested.

Representatives of NGOs and opposition parties estimate the fact as the violation of freedom of expression and appeal to international organizations to become more active to protect politic prisoners and freedom of Expression in Georgia.

Gela Nikoleishvili, a lawyer of the NGO “Former Politic Prisoners for Human Rights” declares that freedom of the expression is seriously violated in Georgia: “These persons have been arrested for their opinion. These persons did not violate the law. If the attempt of painting on the asphalt is violation of the law, then they have to remember the pre revolution period, when their activists from “Kmara” (“Enough”) were sprinkling with the paints in the face of high officials, or when they really blocked the entrance of the Parliament and they were jumping on the tables in the Parliament. Under the Georgian Constitution, everybody has right to express their opinion and protection of the freedom of word has to be the main obligation of the state.”

Imprisonment of those young men has political motives, - declares the representative of the “Egalitarian Institute” Lasha Chkhartishvili. According to him, they are not frightened and they will do their best to protect political prisoners and freedom of word and they will continue protest actions permanently.

Representatives of the parliamentarian opposition parties evaluate this fact as the limitation of free opinion. According to them, the government, with such imprisonments, tries to frighten society. As Phikria Chikhradze, the representative of “Rights” declares: “At present it is difficult to protect political prisoners and freedom of word. When people are arrested for the non-violation words -- “No Violation”, this is the restriction of freedom of word.” 

Member of “Conservative Party” Kakha Kukava hopes that international organizations will support their appeal: “Representatives of the “Egalitarian Institute” has been arrested for three times. It means that they can’t be active. Expression of free opinion is forbidden and it is punished with custody. Georgia is the member of those countries which have political prisoners. We will work with the international organizations to evaluate all those facts adequately.”

Eka Gulua