“The Police excuse themselves, saying they had nothing to do with it or that they had received orders from higher powers.”
Several incidents at Batumi State University on November 8th have led to the Batumi Civil Court discussing six cases of “minor hooliganism.” The Human Rights Center investigates.
Twenty-two-year-old Mamuka Solomonidze lives at No. 6 Griboedov Street in Batumi. His house is 300 meters away from the university. “Mamuka heard noises coming from the university and went there to check out the situation. Later, we learned that he had been detained,” his sister, Zaira Solomonidze, said.
Mamuka Solomonidze was arrested by police from the Fifth Subdivision of the Police Department. According to the detention record, Solomonidze was accused of inciting public disorder in front of the University building despite several warnings from police on the scene. The Batumi Civil Court sentenced him to thirty-days in jail.
Mamuka’s protest letter states, “Many people were around me, shouting. At that moment, a police car stopped nearby and officers got out of the car. They grabbed me and pushed me into the car. I did not resist them. They drew up a detention record for me, stating that I was disrupting the public order. Law enforcement did not force my explanation and took me to the Batumi Civil Court.”
Simon Asatiani, Mamuka Solomonidze’s lawyer, was only involved the case after the court made it’s ruling. “I think the court was too strict with in sentencing him to the maximum term of inprisonment. The only witnesses in the case materials were policemen,” said Asatiani.
Merab Ghoghoberidze was arrested for the same crime as Mamuka Solomonidze. Your author witnessed this incident firsthand on November 8th. Ghoghoberidze was asking journalists present what was going on at the University when police arrived and arrested him.
“I was pushed into the patrol car and they took me to the Second Subdivision of the Police Department,” Ghoghoberidze says. “They started to beat me in the car and were warning each other not to injure my face. At the station, they drew up a detention record that stated that I was in breach of the public order. The investigator promised me that he would not demand prison for me. They excused their actions by saying that it was not their fault and they had received orders from higher powers.”
Several weeks ago Ghoghoberidze hung a dress on the gate of the Adjara Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He suspects that his detention was payback for that act.
According to his detention record, on November 8th at 12:00 PM, Ghoghoberidze committed a crime at the corner of Rustaveli and Melikishvili Streets. The time of Ghoghoberidze’s arrival at the police station, however, is the same as the time for his alleged crime: 12:00 PM.
Ghoghoberidze also says that he was denied access to his cell phone. “They did not let me make a call. I told them that I was not going to call any political parties or journalists. They said if they had let me call, they would have lost their jobs.” Ghoghoberidze was taken to Batumi Hospital # 1 from the police station where he was diagnosed with a brain concussion and spent five days in the hospital.
The court has not discussed Ghoghoberidze’s case.
Maka Malakmadze, Batumi
News
December 13, 2023
Ethnic minorities outside the peace dialogue
November 6, 2023
‘Peace’ agenda of political parties
Popular
Articles
February 13, 2024
Why are Ossetians affected by the conflict unable to regain Georgian citizenship and their property?
