Mentally Disabled Person Imprisoned For Three Years

On October 8th, the Gori District Court sentenced mentally disabled Achiko Surameli to a three-year prison term. His cousin, Zurab Janezashvili, who is also mentally disabled, has been sent to the Foti Psychiatric Hospital for forced treatment.

Gori district law enforcement detained Archil Surameli and Zurab Janezashvili on March 3rd, 2007, for allegedly stealing plastic billboard frames. The Gori International Psycho-Neurological Hospital found that Surameli has serious developmental problems and slight mental retardation. Zurab Janezashvili, however, “had a nervous breakdown caused by brain trauma and suffers from hallucinations.” Despite these findings, the Gori District Court set bail for both accused men at 6000 lari each. As neither man could afford the sum, the mentally disabled cousins were sentenced to a two-month pretrial detention. 

Nazi Janezashvili, grandmother of Archil Surameli, told the Human Rights Center that her grandson suffered a nervous breakdown and has tried to hang himself several times. Janezashvili does not exclude the possibility that both men may try to harm themselves in prison. She claims that Archil Surameli was at home when his cousin, Zurab Janezashvili, came to their house. “Zuriko was holding a plastic frame in his hands and asked Achiko to follow him and help install them in his booth. Achiko followed and soon they were both detained.”

Law enforcement detained the men near Janezashvili’s booth, situated close to the Gori Police Station. Police officers took the men to the location of the billboard and drew up documents stating that they caught the men at the scene of the crime. The lawyer for the accused claims that Janezashvili picked up the pieces of plastic from the ground and took them home.

In June, experts began their psychiatric examination of the men. Surameli and Janezashvili both underwent twenty days of treatment at the Psychiatric Department within the L. Samkharadze Court Experts National Bureau, a part of the Georgian Ministry of Justice.

Treatment for both men finished on June 27. According to the conclusion, Zurab Janezashvili was found to be mentally disabled, while Archil Surameli’s mental condition was deemed only semi-serious. Subsequently, the Prosecutor’s Office prepared and, on July 3rd, submitted a bill of particulars to the court for discussion and a final ruling. The court took three months to examine the circumstances of the case and, on October 8th, Archil Surameli was sentenced to three years in prison and Zurab Janezashvili was committed to the Foti Psychiatric Hospital.

Kakha Muradashvili, Shoda Kartli Regional Prosecutor, refuses to comment on the situation.

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori