Activists protest release of policeman arrested in connection to June 20-21 dispersal
By Levan Abramishvili
Monday, September 30
Preventive detention of the defendant was changed to the GEL 10 000 bail by the Tbilisi City Court Judge Nino Nachkebia. The official reason was the deterioration of health. The information about the release was made public on September 27, after which the rally was planned.
The demonstrators in the robes of the judges wore masks portraying Bidzina Ivanishvili, which they said indicated the fact that Ivanishvili was the ‘principal juror’ in Georgia and the justice was served just as he wished.
“It is a shame when Bidzina Ivanishvili controls the court through The Prosecutor’s Office... While innocent people arrested in connection with the June 20-21 rally are still in jail, the Court released on bail a policeman who was beating and blinding us that night... He was released because of his deteriorating health, while the court refused to release Levan Jikuri, who’s sitting in a wheelchair... The judge told us that it seems that Levan Jikuri can influence the witnesses, that is, the special forces officers... We live in such absurdity,” one of the organizers of the rally, Nodar Rukhadze, told Radio Liberty.
MP Elene Khoshtaria from, European Georgia party joined the protest at the Tbilisi City Court. We're dealing with selective justice as she told Radio Liberty, and what's going on now doesn't even satisfy the minimum standards.
“We see that the authorities are releasing the special forces officer and are holding ‘Gavrilov prisoners’ hostage... I visited one of the detainees - Levan Jikuri in prison... he is indeed in a terrible condition, he is using a wheelchair and they are still not releasing him and are holding him hostage,” said MP Khoshtaria.
No law enforcement officers are presently in custody, according to information provided by the Prosecutor General's Office. The last of the three law enforcement officers who remained in custody was Levan Imerlishvili, an employee of the MIA's Special Task Force.
“The Prosecutor's Office requested detention as a preventive measure against all three special forces officers. Two of them were granted bail, and one was remanded in custody. Due to the deterioration of his health condition, based on the lawyer's motion, which was not accepted by the Prosecutor's Office, the court changed the preventive measure from imprisonment to bail,” the Prosecutor’s Office clarified.
The Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia Archil Talakvadze has clarified that in fact, it is a change of preventive measure, which does not imply that the inquiry and proceedings against the officers of the Special Forces have been halted.
“Such decisions are made by the Court, so if anyone has questions, the Court can explain them, and politicians can not make other interpretations. Secondly, when you talk about the release, it is quite a conditional word. It is a change of preventive measure, it does not mean that the investigation and proceedings against the special unit serviceman have been stopped. The investigation is underway and the truth will be ascertained,” said Talakvadze.
Levan Imerlishvili was arrested on July 15. He is charged under Article 333, part 3, subparagraph ‘b’ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which encompasses excessing official powers using violence or a weapon. The other two law enforcers were also arrested during the same investigation.
About 20 people participating in the June 20-21 rally remain in custody as part of an investigation launched by the Interior Ministry.