Several policemen detained
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, May 28
Tbilisi City Court will rule on the preventive measures taken against the six police officers who were arrested on three different charges by the Chief Prosecutor`s office on May 26.However, the charge of one of the detainees might be more severe compared to others.
Gocha Baghatrishvili, Gocha Chitaia, Zaza Chaia, Grigol Kvinikadze, Vladimer Gamreklishvili and Givi Kravchenko are accused of evidence forgery, illegal confinement and the misuse of duties with regard to General Tamaz Tamazashvili, who is the father-in-law of Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.
Prosecutor’s office states that on October 11 of 2011, Tamazashvili was detained based on falsified evidence and the process was carried out through abuse of the general's dignity.
The detainees deny the charges and stress that law enforcement oppressed them during detention.
According to the lawyer of one of the detainees they might face 3-5 years imprisonment.
The situation is complicated with regard to Kvinikadze. Several participants of the May 26, 2011 opposition street rally that was raided by the United National Movement government claim that Kvinikadze ordered the torture of several participants of the rally.
Members of the Democratic Movement-United Georgia, Ramaz Metreveli and Koba Gotsiridze, point at former high-ranking official, Kvinikadze, as the head of the “torture actions” against the rally participants.
“We were tortured under the order of Kvinikadze. He wanted us to admit that we smashed a police car and committed a crime during the rally,” the individuals state, adding that until now, they did not know the name of Kvinikadze and recognized him when TV channels announced the police officials' detention over the Tamazashvili’s case.
The parliamentary minority claims that the new government of Georgia let all the criminals out, and is now arresting policemen.
MP Davit Sakvarelidze stated that the detained policemen did their best to rid the country of criminals and are currently being detained unfairly.
“It is the action of the new government when honorable people are in prison and criminals freely walk the streets. The United National Movement will stand together with all the policemen who are being oppressed by the new state administration,” Sakvarelidze said.
