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Sister of Sadistically Murdered Brothers Is Threatened

April 26, 2007

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On April 4 an article, “Kvareli District Governor Is Blamed for Murdering Children”, was published on the web-site of the Human Rights Center and it caused public resonance. The Prosecutor’s Office renewed criminal investigation on the murder of juvenile brothers, Zakro and Kakha Gheleghutashvilis. Besides that, Mamuka Kuprashvili, the governor of the Kvareli District, offered resignation.

Twenty-nine-year-old Tamar Gheleghutashvili, a resident of Kvareli, states that Kuprashvili was involved in the murder of her brothers on December 29, 1993. The victim said that Kuprashvili, together with his co-thinkers, killed sixteen-year-old Kakha and thirteen-year-old Zakro Gheleghutashvili in revenge. The police had accused one of the brothers for having killed Kuprashvili’s father. After the death of the boys, grandmother and father died of grief and mother became drunkard and got ill.

Tamar Gheleghutashvili has been demanding the punishment of the murderers for fourteen years in vain. “We are very poor. I have four little children and nobody works in the family. I wanted to go to Tbilisi to appeal against criminals but could not afford it. Besides that I was afraid because I knew murderers of my brothers would not mercy me either. I got very astonished when Kuprashvili, who personally shot my brothers, was appointed to the position of the Kvareli District Governor. I applied to the Human Rights Center. I was not sure that anybody would pay attention to me because representatives of various organizations and newspapers had interviewed me several times but they never did anything useful. Several days after I visited the center, the lawyers for the organization got in touch with me and met me. They promised me to help and appointed lawyer for me,” said Tamar Gheleghutashvili.

TV Companies also got interested in the accident and subsequently the fact became more public. Mamuka Kuprashvili claimed that he had nothing to do with the murder of the brothers Gheleghutashvilis. “It is a purposeful and well-planned provocation against me. At the moment I have offered the resignation but as soon as investigation finishes I might still occupy the position of the governor,” said Kuprashvili.

However, before resignation, Kuprashvili fired an employee of the Fire Service Department, Koba Sefashvili; the department subordinates the district Administrative Board.  Kuprashvili could not forgive Sepashvili the interview he had given to journalists. “I described some details of the murder in my interview with correspondent for Rustavi 2. After the item was broadcast, they told me at works that I was fired. In private talks I was told that I should not have given interview regarding the accident. Of course the interview became the reason for my dismissal,” said Sefashvili.

Giorgi Ghvedashvili, the chief of the Kvareli Fire Service Department, categorically denies Sefashvili’s accusations. He said that the department subordinates the Administrative Board and governor ordered to dismiss all employees at the end of March. “We continued working because we expected we would be employed again. However, they did not hire Sefashvili. Accepting employees is beyond my competence and similar questions are settled by the governor. Nobody from the Administrative Board has ever ordered me to fire Safashvili,” said Giorgi Ghvedashvili.

Lia Khuroshvili, lawyer for the Human Rights Center, considers that Sefashvili’s dismissal from the job is a persecution. “According to our information, Kuprashvili could not forgive Sefashvili for having blamed him for the crime. Thus, freedom on expression was harassed. Besides that the governor has committed crime and he should be punished under the Criminal Law,” said Khuroshvili.

Tamar Gheleghutashvili is also harassed. “My family has dinner at the free canteen in Kvareli; otherwise my children would die of hunger. Several days ago, a representative of the Administrative Board, certain Manana Shartavidze met me and asked me to withdraw an appeal against Kuprashvili from the Human Rights Center and to declare that I was not going to appeal against the governor anymore. Of course I refused; they made me sign some paper on that day. Certain Maia Kafianidze is walking in front of my house for several days and threatens me loudly to beat me if I appear in the street. I cannot let my children out in the yard and they are locked in the house all day long. I am afraid they would revenge me at the expense of my children,’ said Tamar Gheleghutashvili.

The District Municipality will discuss the resignation of Kvareli Governor in the nearest future.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

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