Patrol Police’s Image vs. Giorgi Mikiashvili

Patrol Police’s Image vs. Giorgi Mikiashvili

For resisting the Patrol Police, Giorgi Mikiashvili is kept under detention since October 30th. He was moved to the psychiatric department of the Prison Hospital because of his bad physical condition.

At 3 am. Minister of Interior Vano MerabiSvili arrived at the place of the incident. In his statement he mentioned that the persons detained in the fight were members of the ‘Lotkin’ (a district of Tbilisi) criminal group. In truth, one of the two persons was 21 year-old sportsman George Mikiashvili and the second his friend Davit Baramidze. The fact that Mikiashvili was beaten can be seen on a video taped by the law enforcers.

After nine days of detention Mikiashvili was transported to the psychiatric department. “He was in a terrible condition. Prisoners told me that twelve persons had to hold him down in order to give him an injection. The prison doctor told me they were giving him big doses in order to make him sleep. Giorgi is still receiving medicines” - said Mikiashvili’s sister.

On October 29th, late at night Giorgi was returning from a birthday party. He was sitting in the car when the Patrol Police approached his friend Davit with his wife. The police suspected that the mobile phone Davit was holding was stolen. Afterwards it became clear that this was not the case. The incident ended with the detention of Mikiashvili and Baramidze. “I am curious who gave the Patrol Police the right to stop a person and ask whether a mobile phone is stolen or not. Of course they don’t have this right. My goal is to imprison them for this” - says advocate Zaza Khatiashvili. Up to now only George Mikiashvili and his friend are detained.

According to Mikiashvili, he was beaten several times in the pre-trial room from which he fainted. Advocate Zaza Khatiashvili asked for a medical expertise. The investigator did not approve it, although the results of physical abuse could be seen on Mikiashvili’s face. 
According to Zaza Khatiashvili “investigation is hiding the facts of the case. They are prolonging the time and treating George with strong medicine in order to hide the result of physical abuse.”

According to doctor-psychiatrist Mariam Jishkarini’s examination Mikiashvili is in a grave psycho-somatic condition.

The advocate asked the Court to order an expertise. In principle it should discuss such cases within 24 hours. Mikiashvili’s family waited one month for the decision. Only after Mikiashvili’s sister brought a suit against Judge Levan Murusidze, the question was decided.

According to Mikiashvili’s sister, investigator Giorgi Gedenidze told her that Giorgi was beaten in prison. “I want to state clearly that Giorgi was beaten by the police. In the records of the prison, it is written that George was injured when he entered prison. The government does not want to show the criminal face of the Patrol Police because it will ruin their myths and will bear upon the image of the Rose Revolution”- said Nino Mikiashvili.

Zaza Khatiashvili is going to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. If government can not prove how and why Mikiashvili was injured, the current case will be considered as a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights. In this case the state would have to pay a solid amount of money.

Anna Chkhaidze