Tsotne Gamsakhurdia Refused to Take Part in the Trial as a Form of Protest
December 30, 2010
On December 24th Tbilisi City Court discussed the new charge imposed on Tsotne Gamsakhurdia. This is charge #7 and concerns bribing the employee of the medical department of penitentiary.
According to the investigation material, on June 13th of 2010, by the request of Gamsakhurdia, the employee of penitentiary met with one of the friends of the detainee and passed a correspondence for 500 GEL. The son of ex-president does not find himself guilty. As his lawyer Manana Kobakhidze states the case materials reveal that the employee of the prison provoked the crime.
“The video recording that the charge predicates on should show the part where the prison employee tells Tsotne that his son is very sick and asks for financial assistance. It seems like the recording was edited and this part was entirely cut out. As Gamsakhurdia states he lent the prison employee some money and no bribing has taken place,” – states Manana Kobakhidze, lawyer of Tsotne Gamsakhurdia.
On December 24th, the process was attended by different NGOs. Tsotne Gamsakhurdia wanted to read 26-page statement concerning the facts of torture of prisoners. The judge considered this a political statement and did not allow him to read it. Tsotne Gamsakhurdia refused to take part in the trial as a form of protest.
The defense side requested audio-video recording of the trial and asked to introduce the video material predicating the charge. The requests were not rendered. The trial is postponed for January 6th.
Salome Achba
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