Wednesday, August 1, 2007, #145 (1412)

Girgvliani's killers go free six months early, Supreme Court rules

By Ana Kvrivishvili

On July 31, the Supreme Court reduced the jail sentences for the killers of Sandro Girgvliani by six months. The four former Interior Ministry officers were convicted in the 2006 beating death of 28-year-old banker Girgvliani last year.

Gia Alania was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Tbilisi City Court, while three others received seven years. Girgvliani's family sought to increase the punishment and widen the scope of the investigation to include implicated high-ranking ministry officials.

Instead, the Supreme Court threw out one of the charges, involving property damage.

Shalva Shavgulidze, the Girgvliani family's lawyer, decried the verdict.

"Of course this decision is unjust…it is absolutely groundless," Shavgulidze said.

The lawyer promised to comment on the decision in detail after he had time to examine it.

"When I study it in detail, I will counter each argument, if even any exist in this verdict," Shavgulidze added.

Shavgulidze said he will appeal the Supreme Court's decision to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Some NGOs promised to aid in the continuing battle.

"This information is surprising… Not only have they not punished the people who ordered the crime, but they've reduced the sentence for the murderers," said Lasha Chkhartishvili, a representative of Equality Institute, speaking to the Messenger. "We are going to continue work on the Girgvliani case until justice triumphs."

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