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

Statement of Human Rights Center on the Video-Footage about so called Mukhrovani Mutiny

January 30, 2014
Human Rights Center releases statement about the video-footage spread in social networks, where former Minister of Interior Vano Merabishvili requests senior military officers to bring “two corpses” and promises high bonuses in exchange. 

Human Rights Center believes that the video-footage was prepared in May of 2009, on the day of so-called Mukhrovani Mutiny and the government shall immediately react on the fact. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office shall start immediate investigation into the facts disclosed in the video-footage and estimate who were targets of the ex-Minister’s order to liquidate people without trial. Senior military officers, seen in the video, shall be immediately questioned because they were addressees of Vano Merabishvili’s order on conducting military operation.

Human Rights Center believes that so-called Mukhrovani Mutiny in 2009 was not an attempt of armed coup but disobedience to the senior officers’ instructions. However, society does not have sufficient information about Mukhrovani events because the case still have Top Secret status and trials were held in closed courtrooms through significant violations. Court did not follow its minimal obligation to verify its judgment that is ensured by the principle of fair trial. The Court failed to give clear and obvious reply to the arguments of the accused, though it had fundamental significance to achieve final result. For example, the Court qualified Koba Otanadze’s disobedience as participation in the mutiny for what his punishment was artificially increased up to 29 years of imprisonment.

Considering the aforementioned circumstances, Human Rights Center appreciates the decision of the Parliament of Georgia to grant status of political prisoners to the people accused in the so-called Mukhrovani Mutiny and released them from imprisonment under the Amnesty Law. We fully share the criteria of the Council of Europe worked out for the European Court of Human Rights to grant status of a political prisoner to a person, if he/she was charged based on political motives and whose detention or imprisonment terms or conditions were impropriate to the committed crime. Also, a person, who was detained, arrested or imprisoned via unfair court proceedings, that was allegedly linked with political motives of the government, shall receive the status.

In parallel to it, special operation against Gia Krialashvili and Koba Otanadze, alleged mutiny organizers by the previous government, resulted into Gia Krialashvili’s death and Koba Otanadze’s grave physical injuries. It raises serious questions about proportionality of the force used by the State against the accused people. Investigative bodies failed to properly investigate whether they really resisted to the special force officers during detention. Society still has legitimate doubt that the government had preliminarily planned liquidation of Gia Krialashvili and Koba Otanadze and this doubt was strengthened by the video-footage spread on January 29.

On March 28, 2011, with legal assistance of the Human Rights Center, accused in Mukhrovani Mutiny – Koba Otanadze, Zurab Bzishvili, Besik Potskhverashvili, Beka Grigalashvili and Zviad Jachvadze sent application to the European Court of Human Rights; Human Rights Center protects their rights at the Strasbourg Court.

Human Rights Center calls on the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to start investigation into the cases, which are “stored on the shelves” (like Mukhrovani Mutiny, Kintsvisi Case, cases on the victims of torture, etc), because current informational vacuum in the society undermines the process of restoration of justice in the country. Society has legitimate right to know the truth and request the state to timely investigate high-profile cases and punish perpetrators under the law. 

News