Who Arrested Activists of Political Movement?

Although There Seems to Be No Record that the Activists Were Arrested They Were Released from Prison

Tako Khutsishvili
Ana Sheshaberidze

Four activists of the Political Movement for the United Georgia – Shukri Benidze, Giorgi Tevdorashvili, Iuri Latsabidze and Besik Latsabidze were released on July 23 after a 30-day-imprisonment. They disappeared on June 23 after the incident in front of the President’s Residence in the Avlabari district of Tbilisi. The Ministry of Internal Affairs [the “MIA”]did not confirm any information about their detention because it did not want to admit that policemen also participated in the incident on June 23.

The MIA did not make an official statement about their detention. According to the press center of the United Georgia on June 23, 2009 the Administrative Collegium of the Tbilisi City Court found the activists guilty under Articles 160 and 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia.

For three days he Political Movement did not have any information about the trial and detention form. It learned about the facts from the Public Defender.

On July 7 Levan Chkheidze, attorney for the activists submitted a suit to the Appeal Court but the court discussed the suit without a hearing and did not grant the appeal.

“The activists were picketing at the President’s Residence in Avlabari. On June 23 at about 6:00 pm discontented inhabitants of the neighborhood appeared near the residence and demanded to remove cells from the area. Later, we found out that those people were activists of the National Movement. Our members did not argue with them. Soon policemen in civilian clothes followed the “neighbors” and after an incident between the party members and the policemen four activists disappeared. For several days we were trying to find out where they were. . The MIA did not tell us anything about their detention. Later, with the support of the Public Defender we found out that they were in pre-trial detention in the Tbilisi Main Police Department,” said Irina Jabauri, the spokesperson of the United Georgia.

“Our question is: How did those four people get into pre-trial detention when the MIA did not release any information about their detention. Did ordinary people have right to detain and take the activists into detention?” asked Irina Jabauri. She demands that the government immediately investigate the facts.

Davit Managadze, a lawyer for the Human Rights Centre, stated that the MIA hiding the information about the detention of activists is violation of the law. “Information about the detention of a person is public information and hiding such information is a violation of the law. In this case there are some more violations too. According to the Criminal Procedural Code of Georgia when a person is arrested relatives shall be notified about his/her detention within 5 hours. And the detainee has the right to a defense in order to protect his rights. Consequently, the activists’ rights were restricted, and the law was broken.”

One more interesting fact is that the activists were moved from detention in Tbilisi to the Rustavi Prison two days before their release. “We still do not know the reason for this move because no one informed the attorney about it. Nor were the detainees given any explanation of why they were taken to Rustavi Prison. The activists doubt it was connected with the visit of Josef Biden in Georgia,” said Irina Jabauri.

According to the press center of the Movement the detainees were in unbearable condition in detention --the food and clothes sent by family members and the Movement did not reach them. A doctor did not visit a detainee within one month even when he complained about anything.

The Political Movement filed an appeal with the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia and at the moment the Movement is waiting for it to be discussed.