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Soldiers Seek Assistance from the Public Defender

June 2, 2005

Soldiers Seek Assistance from the Public Defender

Tbilisi. June 2, 2005. MediaNews. Four Adjarian soldiers have escaped from the Border Troops of Lagodekhi Division complaining of constant physical and verbal abuse.

Rezo Charbadze, Head of the Public Defender’s Administration Apparatus, met them in Batumi and interviewed them.  As it turned out, Adjarian soldiers had notified Colonel Beso Zurabishvili, Head of the Military Division, about repeated practices of bullying and abuse, and Zurabishvili took no action to eliminate them.

Representatives of the Public Defender’s Office say that the soldiers asked to be transferred to be another regiment. Soldiers were first beaten for making this claim, and were later threatened as well.

The victims have multiple injures which include brain concussion; these conclusions are certified by medical experts.

Vice-Colonel Ninidze, Commander of Batumi garrison, also confirmed the beatings.  Ninidze had a private meeting with the Commander of the Lagodekhi regiment. However, after being questioned by Giorgi Oniani, Head of the Justice Department of Public Defender’s office, he refused having any knowledge of the facts of abuse and bullying.

The Public Defender’s Apparatus sent all the documents about the above-mentioned fact, together with medical evaluation results to the General Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor’s Office has begun an investigation into the misuse of professional duties on the part of the regiment’s senior officials.

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