Batumi City Court Imprisoned Seven Members of the Public Assembly

On May 23, the judges at the Batumi City Court – Giorgi Kashakashvili and Tamar Bezhanishvili sent the participants of the protest demonstration and leaders of the Batumi office of the Public Assembly to prison.

The detainees were charged under two articles of the Administrative Code of Georgia: blocking and attempt to occupy the Adjara TV-Radio Company, and resistance and disobedience to police officers.

The accusation against the detainees is aggravated by the fact that prosecutor blames them in the organized crime. So, the punishment for the crime they are accused of is imprisonment from 6 to 11 years.

Only one out of seven detainees Tariel Putkaradze pleaded guilty; another part of detainees (Gocha Mukhashavria and Dimitry Cheishvili) were not in the scene of crime and it is proved by corresponding evidence.

Accused Vakhtang Sioridze is a disabled person and could not commit the crime he is accused of because of his physical disability.

Neither prosecutor Zviad Pkhakadze nor Judge Tamar Bezhanishvili got interested why the detainee had bruise on his left eye. The accused said at the court that police officers had tortured him.

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara