Malkhaz Machalikashvili demands meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili
By Levan Abramishvili
Tuesday, July 30
Malkhaz Machalikashvili, father of Temirlan Machalikashvili, who died from injuries during a raid in the Pankisi Gorge, demands meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister of Georgia and chairman of the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party.
Several people were detained on July 26 for involvement in the June 20 case, one of them being Machalikashvili's nephew, Moris Machalikashvili.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the investigation found that the detainees were involved in group violence, assault of police officers, and in an organized attempt to storm the Parliament building. He was charged under Article 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, for organizing or participating in group violence during the events of June 20-21. He was later sentenced to pre-trial custody as a preventive measure.
Machalikashvili links the detention of his nephew to a tent that he set up in front of the Parliament of Georgia on July 25, despite the attempted hindrance from the police. He says it is a form of retaliation from the state.
“The whole country was there that night. We all know how everyone behaved. These were irritated, embittered people who were treated badly by the government. Machalikashvili was convicted, acquitted and given notice in connection with this case. Later, as soon as the tent was set up, the next day, Hossein [Moris] Machalikashvili was arrested, I think this is direct revenge,” said Machalikashvili, speaking with Rustavi 2.
In a post, published on his personal Facebook page, Machalikashvili strongly criticizes those who spread false information about him and once again demands for the state to admit the committed crime.
“The latest blow to me was putting Hussein [Moris] Machalikashvili in prison, on political basis. This is my second child. Concerning the control of my every step and word, it’s not possible for you,” writes Machalikashvili, saying that there are attempts to track him and listen to his conversations.
According to him, he’s meeting with different foreign representatives on the case of the killing of his son, to bring the state to justice. He plans “to take the case to European and other courts”.
He notes that he doesn’t receive instructions from anyone, except for Allah, and fights the state to restore justice.
“Finally, I demand for either me or my wife to meet Bidzina Ivanishvili to uncover everything. This is a request for journalists, first of all for Imedi TV,” said Machalikashvili in his post.
Local NGO, Human Rights and Monitoring Center (EMC) appealed to the Tbilisi Court of Appeals on July 29, demanding the cancelation of preventive detention of Moris Machalikashvili, as ruled by the Tbilisi City Court on July 27.
The EMC states that the Prosecutor's Office did not present any evidence against Moris Machalikashvili that pointed at the need of using the strictest preventive measure against the accused.
EMC states that according to the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, as well as the international human rights standards, a preventive measure in the form of detention is a rare exception, and its use must be proved in the case with specific, credible evidence, which directly points to the real risk that the proper behavior of the accused couldn’t be guaranteed otherwise.
According to EMC, there’s a basis for reversing the judge’s ruling, as they didn’t consider such specific evidence when ruling regarding Machalikashvili’s case.
“It should be noted that the ready-made practice of ruling detention as the preventive measure by the Georgian courts has been repeatedly criticized by the European Court of Human Rights, although it is clear that the courts do not substantially change this harmful practice,” reads the statement published by EMC.
EMC expresses hope that the Tbilisi Court of Appeals will consider the arguments provided in the appeal and will cancel detention used as preventive measure against Machalikashvili.
A 19-year old Temirlan Machalikashvili was fatally wounded during an anti-terrorist raid in the Pankisi Gorge on December 26, 2017. Officials claim that he was shot while trying to detonate a grenade. The family says that he was sleeping when the police entered the house and shot him without warning.
Malkhaz Machalikashvili has been protesting and asking for fair investigation and restoration of justice since May 2018.
