Regime of Pink Terror: Member of the Egalitarian Institute Arrested in Batumi

Nona Suvariani, Tbilisi

On March 30 Jano Rizhvadze, member of the Egalitarian Institute and five other Georgian citizens were detained in Batumi. Members of the non-governmental organization told during a recent press conference that they consider that the real reason for their detention was because of their membership in the Egalitarian Institute.

Levan Gogichaishvili, told that representative of the NGO had provoked police into detaining Mikheil Tavartkiladze, Zebur and Zaur Dekanidzes, Jano Rizhvadze, Tengiz Chikvaidze and Maradi Tsetskhladze.

The detainees are residents of Batumi, the capital of Adjara Autonomous Republic. Jano Rizhvadze represents the Batumi office of the NGO. The history started out over that Amiran Farsenadze, who had been was fired from the police department over a claimed drug addiction. He had worked as a driver for Jumber Tavartkiladze, a resident of Batumi.

Jano told that “I do not know what actually happened between them but it is clear that Tavartkiladze fired him from the job.  Farsenadze was calling his former boss and arguing with him over being terminated from his job.”

“Jumber Tavartkiladze than requested to one of his relatives, Zaur Dekanidze to call the former employee and find out what all he was demanding. The two men met each other near the shop “Bumerang” in Batumi. However, before the meeting they had spoken over the phone. As lawyers claim they had argued over the phone and Farsenadze arrived at the meeting place in the company of police officers, Guram Jaiani, Merab Beridze and Mamuka Bezhanidze. They then demanded that Dekanidze get into their car so to be taken to the police station for questioning. 

Dekanidze refused and consequently was physically pushed into the car. However, in fact, he was not taken to the police station but the car was driven into the alley near the shop and the police officers began beating him. The police were in uniform, and regardless, they also were not authorized take the person to the station for questioning.  To physically take a person in for question can only be connected to an on-going investigation and when the person was the subject of the investigation or a potential suspect or witness.”

According to Levan Gogichaishvili while Dekanidze was being beaten a truck drove into the alley. Meanwhile Jano Rizhvadze managed to inform his friends about the incident. The neighbors also looked out of the windows at the commotion.  Three minutes later the patrol car arrived at the place.

“We think the neighbors called for the patrol police to protect our boys from being beaten up. However, when law enforcers found out the situation they arrested these boys. Patrol officers said in their testimonies that Dekanidze and Rizhvadze had intended to block the street. In fact the street could not be blocked because of its width, which is 14 meters. The police also claimed in their report that the 15 boys had call for others to come to help them beat up the police. However, eyewitnesses deny the allegations as described by the police.”

Relatives (brothers of Mikheil Tavartkiladze and Zaur Dekanidze) soon arrived at the police station to see the detainees and they were also arrested in connection with the incident, and it was claimed during the press conference that there was no legal justification for their arrest.

Members of the Egalitarian Institute adamantly feel that Jano Rizhvadze was actually detained because he and others were actively opposed to a member of a local governmental authority.

Lasha Chkhartishvili calls the situation “Regime of Pink Terror” as people are arrested for daring to have a different opinion.