The Government and Internal Ministry Threaten Ilia Chachibaia

Who tried to detain the chairman of the Egalitarian Institute’s Samegrelo-Zemo-Svaneti Regional office and why?

Ilia Chachibaia, the chairman of the Zugdidi office of the Egalitarian Institute, left the Samegrelo district today. His colleagues took measures to protect him and help him avoid any further provocation. The planned briefing at the Zugdidi office of the Egalitarian Institute was not held, and the group stated that Ilia Chachibaia was targeted because of the briefing.

Ilia Chachibaia left Zugdidi half an hour before today’s briefing. He was planning to name policemen and National Movement activists who took part in the harassment and detention of MPs during the recent United Opposition-organized Zugdidi demonstration. Other members of the Egalitarian Institute advised him to leave town in order to avoid danger.

Chachibaia was sure that he would be either detained or kidnapped after those threats. The leader of the Egalitarian Institute blames Tengiz Gunava, the head of the Main Regional Police Department, and Zaza Gorozia, the Regional Governor, for threatening Chachibaia.

“On October 30th at 6:00PM, Gunava called me and demanded I meet him,” Chachibaia recalls. “I replied that I did not think it was necessary to meet him and refused. He called me back several times and demanded the same. ‘Where are you? I will come and we will talk in my car, I will not do anything more,’ he said. I refused each time, but I eventually agreed. Before our meeting, I informed the regional correspondent for Imedi TV, Irakli Lagvilava, and went with him to the Regional Police Department. Our car stopped in front of the Wisol petrol station. Zaza Gorozia called Lagvilava and soon the latter moved into Gorozia’s car. Meanwhile, Dima Markoidze, the head of the Governor’s security, sat in my car. We drove in the direction of the police department and Gorozia followed us in his car with Lagvilava. Markoidze insulted me until we reached the department. Nearly ten policemen were waiting for us when we arrived, all of whom wanted to drag me out of the office and arrest me. Irakli Lagvilava kept them back and led me out of the area.”

Gunava categorically denies this phone conversation with Chachibaiai. “He is lying and is telling bad lies. This conversation is over. It is nonsense. Have you heard what I said? I tell you that whatever he says is a lie!”
 
Gunava denies the existence of these phone calls, but Ilia Chachibaia has the number of the private line of the head of the Main Regional Police Department. The head of the Egalitarian Institute’s Zugdidi office recorded the phone conversation as well.

Nana Phazhava, Zugdidi