Non-governmental organization Human Rights Center requests to impose criminal liability on Otar Dighmelashvili, deputy head of Sighnaghi district police department, for having tortured a person.
The incident occurred on March 1, 2008. Otar Dighmelashvili together with other policemen stopped a car of Gela Kutibashvili driving along the road. Gela Kutibashvili is the brother of Nodar Kutibashvili, a leader of Sighnaghi district organization of the New Rights. Deputy Head of police department demanded Gela Kutibashvili to get off the car and to produce documents. Kutibashvili gave him the documents together with his wallet. He claims that Dighmelashvili took the money from his wallet and returned it empty. Kutibashvili demanded the police official to return his money and it resulted into a quarrel. Dighmelashvili beat Kutibashvili so ruthlessly that the latter lost 10 teeth; he had various injuries on his body and still cannot drink water without special pipe.
Sighnaghi district prosecutor’s office started investigation of the incident but it was dropped soon. The prosecutor’s office reported they stopped the prosecution because of lack of signs of crime. Prosecutor Ioseb Guloshvili said Kutibashvili had injured himself. The resolution of the prosecutor’s office on ceasing the investigation was appealed by the attorney of Kutibashvili but the court did not satisfy the suit.
The Human Rights Center thinks there is enough evidence to impose criminal liability on Otar Dighmelashvili. The Human Rights Center calls upon international organization to react on the incident.