Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Representatives of the Republic Party in Search of Justice in Gori

August 24, 2009

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

The Gori District Court sentenced Tamaz Tlashadze, an activist of the Republic Party to 3 years of prison term on August 14, 2009. The party members claim that he is punished for his political views. The next day Zaal Gudadze, another member of the Republic Party was sentenced to 4 years of prison term. Gudadze was charged for possession of firearms and explosive material. The Republic Party is planning to appeal the court verdict in the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. 

The law enforcers arrested Tlashadze on his way home on June 15, 2009. The Republic Party claims that Tamaz was ill at that time and was out to buy Borjomi. This is when the law enforcers arrested Tamaz and “discovered” drugs in his pocket.

The law enforcers arrested Zaal Gudadze when he was coming back from a funeral.

Revaz Revazishvili, an attorney of Tamaz Tlashadze and Zaal Gudadze claims that the law enforcers  obtained evidence against his clients through illegal methods. He filed a motion to the court to reject the evidence of the law enforcers on the ground that they were obtained by using illegal methods. However, Judge Revaz Nadoi did not grant the motion and declared all the evidence  lawful.

Tlashadze is charged under Part I of Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal production, purchase, storage, transportation, sending or selling of narcotics or its analogue). Zaal Gudadze is charged under Part I and II of Article 236 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal purchase or storage/possession of firearms, ammunition or explosive material or explosive apparatus).

The Office of the Public Defender of Georgia concluded that Tamaz Tlashadze’s and Zaal Gudaze’s  arrest was politically motivated.

“There is a lot of evidence that proves that Tamaz Tlashadze is innocent. Moreover, the evidence provided by the prosecutor was obtained through illegal methods. The allegation is based on the fact that the protocol on searching Tamaz Tlashadze was not made when he was arrested. Moreover, Tamaz Tlashadze was not searched at all, on the contrary, he was placed in a car and taken to the police. No legal proceedings were followed with him. This was proven during the court investigation, but the judge did not take into account this allegation of ours. We wonder what the judge will say to argue the guilt of Tamaz Tlashadze. When we receive argumentation of the judge about the verdict we will appeal the court’s decision in the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. Tlashadze could have faced a prison term from 6 months to 10 years but the judge sentenced him to 3 years of prison term, because he took into account Tlashadzes good character…. To tell you the truth we had not expected that the judge would have acquitted Tamaz Tlashadze. We will fight in every court and even in Strasbourg if necessary. This case stands out because a whole range of violations were committed. As I have already mentioned, the law enforcers obtained all the evidence by using illegal methods,” said Revaz Revazishvili, Tamaz Tlashadze’s attorney.

Davit Razmadze, the chairperson of the Gori District Office of the Republic Party is angry because of the developments in the court and because the judge rejected all the motions from Tlashadze’s attorney: “ I hope that the courts of higher institutions will have more dignified judges and then we will be able to prove the truth. The judge did not have any ground to declare Tamaz Tlashadze guilty. Tlashadze is very determined. He says he has not committed the crime and is convinced that he will be able to prove the truth. We will appeal this illegal and immoral verdict. If necessary we will even go to Strasbourg (European Court of Human Rights). Another member of our party Zaal Gudadze is arrested. He is charged for transportation of firearms and ammunition. We have many pieces of evidence that prove that Gudadze is innocent but we do not have much confidence in the Georgian judicial system. The prosecutor, the judge and the  witnesses must directly be send to prison straight from the trial…. I am a Christian, but I want them to be punished.,” said Davit Razmadze to us.

Article 7 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia forbids the usage of evidence that is obtained via illegal methods. In particular, Paragraph 5 of Article 7 says that all evidence which is obtained via illegal methods must be declared nonexistent. The Constitution of Georgia also prescribes banning of usage of illegally obtained evidence. However, the Gori District Court acknowledged the evidence provided by the law enforcers and thus violated the law.

The trial was attended by Ivliane Khaindrava, Kakha Shartava and Sopio Khuntsaria, all representatives of the Republic Party and also Tamar Khidasheli, the chairperson of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA). Tlashadze’s and Gudadze’s attorney Revaz Rekhviashvili is from GYLA.

Please see more on the topic:

One More Demonstration To Be Held in Gori  

Detentions on Political Grounds Continue in Gori 

News