Aslan Tsutsashvili from Pankisi Gorge Blames Police in Physical Abuse and Discrimination on Ethnic Grounds

Lela Khechoshvili, Kakheti

Pankisi Gorge resident Aslan Tsutsashvili, 24, blames law enforcement officers in his physical abuse and discrimination on ethnic grounds. According to Tsutsashvili, on January 23, he and his father Gocha Gorgishvili were traveling from Pankisi Gorge to Akhmeta by their car. Tsutsashvili said a police car was driving on the opposite side on Rustaveli Street. Police officers stopped them and after a dispute detained them.

A police officer Mikheil Berdzenishvili clarified to them that Aslan Tsutsashvili did not have safety belt on and requested documents. Aslan Tsutsashvili claims both of them had the belts on.

“Police officers started filling in a protocol but we tried to clarify that we had not breached the traffic rules; we requested video from the video-camera of the auto-service unit but police officers refused. During the incident Mikheil Berdzenishvili was shouting at me and insulting on ethnic ground. He even tried to beat me but my father did not allow him,” Aslan Tsutsashvili said.

According to him, other police officers and head of the police department arrived on the place. 

“I was lying on the asphalt with my face down and they tied my hands behind. Two more police cars arrived to help their colleagues. They also started verbally insulting me. The chief police officer was also there,” Tsutsashvili said.

He added that after the chief police came they started kicking him. “The chief police officer also shouted that Kists have become very impudent for the last time. Then they pushed me into the car and one police officer was beating me in the head, second in the belly. They were shouting, cursing and threatening “they would extinguish” Kists from the area,” Tsutsashvili reported.

When they were brought to the police unit, based on the chief police officer the detainees were taken to the basement where he and his deputy also went and verbally insulted them. 

On the day of detention, the detained father and son spent several hours in the temporary detention setting and then were taken to Telavi district court.

Judge Nino Kordzaze at Telavi district court found Gocha Gorgishvili and Aslan Tsutsashvili guilty in the violation of administrative law based on the testimonies of police officers; based on her judgment each of the detainees was fined with 250 lari.

On January 25, Aslan Tsutsashvili applied local nongovernmental organization Civil Activities Center for help. On January 27, the Center sent petitions to the General Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kakheti Regional Prosecutor’s Office and Public Defender of Georgia. 

According to the Press-Center of the MIA, General Inspection has already started study of the case. Kakheti regional prosecutor’s office also launched investigation. Lawyer Lia Khuroshvili of Human Rights Center defends rights of Tsutsashvili. She said the investigation against Tsutsashvili is ongoing under Article 333 Part III ‘b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is abuse of power.