Head of the Election HQ of the United Opposition Detained in Tsalenjikha

Nana Pazhava, Tsalenjikha

On May 4 2008 officers from the Tsalenjikha District Police Department detained Davit Belkania, the head of the local Election HQ of the United Opposition in front of his house. Later, he was taken to Zugdidi for drug test. Since the test showed Belkania was not under influence, he was then released. It has been third instance of the oppositionist’s detention in the last five days. Davit Belkania connects his persecution to his political activities.

Law enforcers detained Davit Belkania near his house at 11:00 PM when he was parking his car in the garage.

Davit Belkania: “A car pulled down at my house and four people got out of it. They introduced themselves as police officers and demanded car documents. I was slightly drunk having drunk two glasses of alcohol. Soon additional team of police officers arrived at the place who demanded to follow them to the police station in order to draw up a detention report. I demanded them to write the document on the place but they refused.”

Belkania stated that the police officers tried to accuse him for resistance but he followed them to the station without any resistance. Finally, the detainee was fined in the amount of 150 GEL.

Dali Belkania, the wife: “I was astonished because the police officers demanded my husband to drive the car out of the garage and to stop it in the street. They wanted to record in the report as if my husband was detained while driving. My four under-aged children witnessed the detention and they became depressed.”

The drug-test in Zugdidi showed that Davit Belkania was only drunk. Having left the doctor’s cabinet journalists, Koba Davitashvili, parliamentary majoritarian candidate in Samegrelo Region, and Kakha Mikaia, parliamentary candidate from the proportional system were waiting for him.

Koba Davitashvili: “It is political repression and a blatant violation of the law. We categorically demand to start criminal prosecution against those police officers who detained Davit Belkania. First of all, Zviad Gatserelia, the head of the Tsalenjikha Police Department, must be charged.”

Kakha Mikaia: “It is next provocation of Vano Merabishvili’s office, the Minister of Internal Affairs. With approaching elections we should expect more similar provocations. We know the plan of Saakashvili and his law enforcers worked out to flaw the elections. However, January 5 (presidential elections) will not be repeated. We will defeat the Saakashvili-Merabishvili alliance.”

Special briefing was held in Zugdidi Office of the United Opposition where Belkania blamed Zviad Gatzerelia for having persecuted him.

Davit Belkania: “I was detained for three times since November 7 2007. They know perfectly well that I am not a drug-addict. However, the police still try to discredit me. I do not want my children to watch this violence and their father taken to the police station because of false accusation for being a drug addict. I will not forgive how they degraded me. I intend to appeal to the court.” 

At the briefing Paata Sordia, the parliamentary majoritarian candidate of the United Opposition, demanded the law enforcers to name the owner of the car they drove when Davit Belkania was detained. The owner of this car constantly chases members of opposition parties.

Paata Sordia: “This car with the number “ACV 014” is a mean for conspiracy movement. It moves near our HQ. It appeared near our office one hour before Davit Belkania was detained and the people sitting in it shouted: “Misha is great” and then cursed the opposition. I categorically demand to learn the identities of those people involved and call upon the government, law enforcers to stop groundless persecution and repression of the supporters of opposition parties.”