Detained for the Resistance to Police Officers Requests Release under Bail

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

On September 10, controversy between law enforcement officers and a citizen near House of Justice in Gori lasted a few minutes. In the moment of detention, the citizen resisted the police officers.

Patrol police crew arrived at the place because of the auto-crash, and one of the participants in the incident resisted the police officers during detention. The police officers called for additional resources on the spot. A passer-by video-recorded the ongoing controversy by cell phone and it was later disseminated by the TV-Company Dia.  

Humanrights.ge found out that police arrested Giorgi Zarkhozashvili, whose rights are protected by the lawyer Mamuka Nozadze. The lawyer told humanrights.ge that police officers exceeded their power, and the detainee was injured during detention. In addition to that, the detainee’s mother was also injured during the incident.

Currently, Giorgi Zarkhozashvili is in Gori pre-trial detention setting. The lawyer said he feels well.

Mamuka Nozadze, the lawyer: “During the detention, rights of my client were breached. We have prepared a lawsuit about procedural violations but the police did not accept it. We will request bail at the court. Presumable charge against my client is resistance to police officers but Zarkhozashvili does not agree with the accusation.”

Representative of the public relation unit at the MIA told humanrights.ge that investigation into the case was launched under Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is resistance to law enforcement officers. He said the information spread by media is false and clarified that police had not used electric shock tool during detention though they had right because the citizen did not obey their lawful demands and resisted. 

“Police crew arrived at the scene of car-accident. One of the participants in the accident did not obey lawful demand of the police officers, cursed people gathered in the area and then insulted police officers and the controversy turned into physical assault. He did not obey lawful orders of the law enforcement officers. Although police officers had right to use electric shock against him, they did not use it. Case was immediately qualified as a crime punishable under Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is disobedience and resistance to lawful orders of police officers,” the representative of the press-center at MIA said.