Eka Beselia Suggests Colleagues Not to Sign Illegal Plea-Agreement

Lawyer of the detained photo-reporter Giorgi Abdaladze Eka Beselia suggests her colleagues not to sign illegal plea-agreements [between the prosecutor’s office and their clients].

Eka Beselia spread her appeal to lawyers and human rights defenders regarding this issue: “I have worked on many complicated cases throughout my 12-year-long advocacy practice but the photo-reporters’ case is one of the most dramatic ones and has acquired importance of a watershed of our society that is taking new exam: is the society capable to struggle for justice and freedom or not.

I took up the case in order to take the public message to the space of forced silence and to take the messages about the true situation to the society who has full right to know what really happens in the country and in the prison whose minister and security guards get salaries from the taxes we pay to the budget; the society should know what is going in the investigation unit whose leader and entire personnel gets salary from people’s money as well. Yes, the society has right to know the truth and the government lost balance because of the huge public solidarity. The government made several grave mistakes and I see that our joint support managed to defeat this unfair and violator government but they defeat us with the demonstration of their power.

I am pleasantly shocked with the spirit of journalist Giorgi Abdaladze who struggles for freedom and justice; he was ready to protect his personal and professional dignity at the expense of his life but the state machine managed to morally break him with criminal methods. This fact increased my belief that we should not retreat and I cannot satisfy Giorgi Abdaladze’s request to hide truth… How can I keep silence when I see the establishment of brutal and cruel system in front of me which destroys everything valuable…? Unless I speak about these illegalities, I will become part of criminal activities of this violator regime. Every lawyer, who will sign illegal agreements and approve the violence, will have to play the same role. First of all I appeal to my colleagues – human rights defenders and lawyers: profession and dignity of a lawyer is very important. Professional dignity of a lawyer is measured with every step taken by the lawyer and will survive only by our faith to our principles. We cannot participate in illegal deals and support the reinforcement of this criminal system. Every agreement is illegal whose participants are compelled to plead guilty. When they cannot demonstrate their free will, signing similar agreements is illegal. If there is no lawyer in the country, who signs similar agreements, we will hinder the series of criminal activities.

I am appealing to you as your colleague, as a co-founder of the Bar Association of Georgia, co-author of the Ethic Code of Lawyers and former chair of the Ethic Commission, who has decided to temporarily decline her favorite profession in order to reincarnate fair and independent court and to struggle for justice. For this purpose, today we can put a huge stone on this wall if we show to the government that no honorable lawyer will agree to sign the plea-agreement.

My dear colleagues, do not sign the illegal agreement; do not hide the truth and save the photo-reporters from false accusation of espionage; so you will survive your professional honor,” Eka Beselia’s statement reads.

Reportedly, lawyers of Giorgi Abdaladze refused to sign his appeal for the plea-agreement on July 21. The lawyers said they will never sign the guilty verdict on innocent photo-reporters.