Georgian Dream’s Coordinators Now Summoned to Police

Nino Zhgenti, for.ge

When representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other international organizations suggest the government of Georgia to improve election environment, oppression on the Georgian Dream’s members continues. Varlam Khatridze, member of the Coalition’s human rights committee got in touch with for.ge and informed us about concrete facts of intimidation and oppression on Coalition members.

Khatridze said besides State Audit Office, police departments also summon members and supporters of the Coalition Georgian Dream for interrogation and psychologically oppress them. For.ge interviewed Varlam Khatridze on the issue.

Varlam Khatridze: “On September 4, inspector-investigator of the Didube-Chugureti department of the MIA Irakli Kacharava visited my client Marina Eliozishvili at home. Kacharava informed Ms. Marina that she was summoned to the police but did not say with what status and for what case she was called to police station. I immediately petitioned to the senior officers of Didube-Chugureti police department but they have not replied to me yet. On September 5, an investigator of the main department, certain Tamar Zedginidze called Marina Eliozishvili and warned her unless she had arrived at the police office willfully she would have been delivered by force.

I informed both General Inspection of the MIA and Public Defender’s Office about the fact. Neither investigator Zedginidze clarified to Ms. Marina the reason of her summoning. However, she told her – “as we know your attorney is Varlam Khatridze, but he cannot save you. You must appear before police or you will be forcibly delivered to the office.”

Of course, I immediately appealed to relevant institutions. On September 5, Marina Eliozishvili arrived at the police to be interrogated and I also presented the process. As we were clarified, Marina Eliozishvili was called with regard to legalization of illegal revenues but they did not say concrete offender of this case.

I would like to underline that Marina Eliozishvili is member of the Georgian Dream and police is intimidating her on that ground. Her interrogation was carried out through procedural violations. It took place in the large hall where several people were gathered and all of them were asking her questions. Of course, I protested this fact but they started to intimidate me - the lawyer; they were shouting and insulting us.

-What did they ask your client?

-You know, they might have expected that Marina Eliozishvili would arrive at the interrogation alone but since I was with her, they only asked her about her income.

-Why did they get interested in her income? Is she donator of the Georgian Dream?

-No, Ms. Marina is not Coalition’s donator; she is just coordinating a Georgian Dream’s office and is actively involved in its activities. Generally, it makes no difference whether a person donates to the Georgian Dream or not; almost every supporter of the Coalition is questioned.

Of course, I protested the form of Marina Eliozishvili’s interrogation (accompanied by oppression and insulting), and made relevant notes in her interrogation protocol. After that, they became aggressive towards me. Her interrogation lasted three hours.

-You said, your client was summoned about legalization of illegal revenues. If the case was not launched against Eliozishvili, they might have asked questions about other people?

-That is the point; the investigators claimed case was not launched against Marina Eliozishvili but they did not say who was suspect of the case she was interrogated for; they asked questions only about Marina Eliozishvili’s income and did not mention anybody else. They pretended to be investigating case on legalization of illegal revenues. It was the same farce like they use to use when they start investigations based on operative information; nobody can guess what kind of operative information they have. In fact, they are simply interested in the incomes of the Georgian Dream’s members.

-What is the situation now? Is investigation against Marina Eliozishvili going on?

-She was directly ordered to prove her innocence – that she does not have illegal revenues. Marina Eliozishvili does not work; her mother lives abroad and she sends her certain amount of money every month. We can easily prove it because the money is transferred by bank. But, the point is that they do not suspect Marina Eliozishvili has illegal income; simply they are interested in the incomes of the Georgian Dream’s members and they are doing it under camouflage of investigative interests. My client, who was interrogated as a witness, is not obliged to collect some evidence and prove her innocence.

-Do similar cases often occur?

-I personally defended several people who were summoned to police for similar motive. The purpose of those interrogations was to oppress the summoned people because several investigators are interrogating them, shouting and oppressing them. All interrogated people are supporters of the Georgian Dream and it becomes ground of their summoning.