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Prisoner is on hunger strike in Gldani prison and threatens with suicide

November 25, 2014
 
Lela Khechoshvili, Kakheti 

Vazha Utiashvili from Gurjaani is on hunger strike in Gldani prison; he even does not drink water and threatens with suicide unless he is found innocent in the accusation. He was arrested on Gurjaani-Kachreti road on November 15 when he was travelling to Tbilisi by taxi together with three more passengers. Gurjaani district police officers stopped the taxi and asked Vazha Utiashvili to get out of the car. According to police officers, they detained Vazha Utiashvili based on the operative information that allegedly he had narcotics with him. 

Lawyer Lia Khuroshvili from the Kakheti office of Human Rights Center defends the rights of the detainee. She has already appealed to the investigative board of the Tbilisi Appeal Court. The lawyer said according to the detainee’s story, he was searched at Kachreti police office: “Vazha Utiashvili said that he was physically and verbally abused by the police officers; then he was taken to Kachreti police office where he was searched. After the search, police officers showed him drugs wrapped in a sheet of paper and claimed it belonged to him. Vazha Utiashvili does not plead guilty and accuses police officers in physical assault and in planting marihuana on him. Gurjaani district prosecutor’s office already studies this fact,” lawyer of Human Rights Centre said. 

Gurjaani district court imposed imprisonment on Vazha Utiashvili. He was charged under Article 353 Paragraph I and Article 260 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The former implies resisting a police officer  or any other government representative to impede the protection of public order or terminate or change his/her activity, as well as coercing thereof into an explicitly unlawful action, perpetrated under violence or threat of violence – it is punishable by fine or by restriction of freedom for up to three years in length or by imprisonment for up to five years in length. Article 260 Paragraph 1 refers to  Illicit preparation, production, purchase, keeping, shipment, transfer or sale of drugs, the analogy or precursor thereof that is by imprisonment  for up to ten years in length. 

As relatives of Vazha Utiashvili clarify, police officers often searched him for drug-possession. In August of 2014 he was physically abused during the search but both the detainee and his family members kept silence about it because they did not want to have problems with police. The detainee has been on hunger strike since his arrest. 

“They planted 6 grams of marihuana on my son. Let’s assume that he was under influence of marihuana; they tested him several times and never detected the influence of marihuana. But, ok, let us assume that he had smocked it; they could fine him for that!” Ekaterina Iashvili, sister of the detainee said and added that police officers permanently tested her brother for drug influence. “Police chases my brother. They control him day and night and how he could give them ground for his arrest. He was picked up in front of his house several times and taken for drug test. My brother is not drug-addict at all; he has health problems and has status of disabled person.” 

The sister said Utiashvili is difficult situation now: “When he was in the detention setting, he shouted he had endured all sorts of violence and started hunger strike since then. He was so ruthlessly beaten in the head that he could not speak properly. He is in bad conditions and under psychological and physical pressure. He is on hunger strike but drank only water. He seriously told me he plans suicide because cannot endure next injustice.”  

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