The Human Rights Center Suggests Lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze to Stop Discrediting Statements about the Center’s Lawyer

The Human Rights Center protests the recent statement of the Lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze in the TV-Programs of the TV-Company “Kavkasia” on July 21 and 22. The lawyer deliberately misleads the society and tries to discredit the Human Rights Center’s lawyer Nino Andriashvili due to his personal offence.

We kindly remind the society that the Human Rights Center launched active defense and support campaign of the photo-reporters from the very beginning. On the same day, the Center was the first to appeal to international organizations, diplomatic corps, media and the government without any evasive talks and requested the release of the arbitrarily detained photo-reporters. It is noteworthy that all other NGOs and media organizations refrained from radical statements and requested only transparent investigation and removal of the Top Secret status from the case materials.

The Human Rights Center has never doubted that photo-reporters were innocent and had firm position about the case from the very beginning. Every interested person can read our first appeal on www.humanrights.ge under the title The Human Rights Center Calls Upon the Government of Georgia to Immediately Release Detained Photo-Reporters.

In fact, the Human Rights Center was the only non-governmental organization which expressed its solidarity with the detained photo-reporters with the acute protest poster “Misha Lukashenko” in front of the so-called Moduli Building (MIA Office) on July 7, the same day when photo-reporters were detained. You can read the article on the www.humanrights.ge (see article First Action to Support the Detained Photo Correspondents).

The Human Rights Center was the first organization to state that detained photo-reporters were prisoners of conscience during the protest demonstration in front of the MIA building.
 
The Human Rights Center and its lawyer Nino Andriashvili started to defend Zurab Kurtsikidze from the very beginning without any compensation. Everybody knows that the lawyer was restricted in her statements and the Top Secret status on the case did not allow her to speak about details. Nevertheless, Nino Andriashvili managed to find angle to provide the media with urgently important information regarding the accusations against the photo-reporters. On the very first day, the lawyer stated that Zurab Kutsikidze had bruises on the face, that caused doubts that the detainee was under physical oppression to get his confession statement. Nino Andriashvili informed the media that Zurab Kurtsikidze had started hunger-strike in protest but he stopped it soon due to his health problems.

Photo-reporter Zurab Kurtsikidze completely trusted Nino Andriashvili and the lawyer never overindulged his trust. Kurtsikidze wished to leave the custody as soon as possible where he was arbitrarily placed. So, he had to accept the plea-agreement. Since he had already made similar decision, he declined the assistance of Shalva Shavgulidze - one more lawyer hired by the European PressPhoto Agency and the family. Lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze got irritated with the fact and blamed Nino Andriashvili in hindering his involvement in the case. It is noteworthy that it happened when the Human Rights Center decided to withdraw lawyer Nino Andriashvili from the case in protest of the unhealthy practice of declaring people guilty through confession statements and plea-agreements obtained under oppression.

It is interesting why the lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze was advocating for Zurab Kurtsikidze in so devotedly at the last minutes when the defendant had decided to sign the plea-bargain agreement? Supposedly, he had an interest to receive significant fee offered to him by EPA in exchange for couple-hour legal defense. Supposedly, the “famous lawyer” was angry by the loss of this fee and therefore he did not lose chance to attack “unknown” colleague Nino Andriashvili.

Lawyer Shavgulidze accuses Nino Andriashvili in the violation of Lawyers Ethics Code and gives wrong information to the media as if Andriashvili blocked his participation in the case. And this happens when Nino Andriashvili had no financial, private or other interest to hinder the work of his colleague. On the contrary, Nino Andriashvili called the investigator in his presence and asked him to postpone the investigation procedure for the second day since Shalva Shavgulidze who was not yet appointed to be a lawyer in the case wanted so. Since the investigator refused to postpone the investigation procedure, Andriashvili offered his colleague to jointly meet the prisoner before this investigation procedure started and notify him about the involvement of one more lawyer in the case hired by EPA and his family. Lawyer Shavgulidze did not like this offer and left the office of Human Rights Center with angry face.

Nino Andriashvili supported Shalva Shavgulidze in #8 Gldani prison when the prison administration and the investigation did not allow him to take up the case. In the interview with Rezonansi (Resonance) Shalva Shavgulidze correctly recalls why the investigator and the prison administration did not allow him to meet the prisoner. However, in the live of TV Company Caucasia he blames Nino Andriashvili who did not even have enough authority or mechanisms to block his participation.

At the same time, Nino Andriashvili was obligated to inform the lawyer and society about the decision of the defendant; Zurab Kurtsikidze told him that he thanks everybody including EPA, his family and other well-wishers but he did not want to involve another lawyer in the case since he had already made a decision to sign plea-bargain agreement with the investigation under the condition of release.

It should be noted that EPA and the family of detainee discussed the involvement of Shalva Shavgulidze in the case a week ago when there was no talk about the plea-bargain agreement. Back then the “famous lawyer” refrained to be active and appeared in the case when his involvement had no meaning for the detainee any longer.

Human Rights Center addresses the TV Company Caucasia to stop biased, partial and insulting covering of groundless accusation of Shalva Shavgulidze and present the position of the Center to the audience.

The Human Rights Center addresses the Council of Journalist Ethics Charter with a request to hear the complaint against the signatory of the Charter Aleko Elisashvili who violated the article I of the Charter: “The journalist must respect truth and right of society – to receive accurate information.”

The Human Rights Center addresses the Ethics Commission of Bar Association to examine Shalva Shavgulidze’s unethical statements towards Nino Andriashvili and make the relevant decision.

The Human Rights Center calls on the lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze to stop the intentional discrediting of Human Rights Center’s lawyer and apologize to her for the undeserved insult.