Police Officers Beat Revaz Tsalani - Breaking His Chest and Leaving Him Crippled

Police Officers Beat Revaz Tsalani - Breaking His Chest and Leaving Him Crippled

Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be held responsible regarding a case that was covered by the ‘Imedi’ broadcasting company. On August 10th 2005, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs beat Revaz Tsalsani, a resident of Mestia, so terribly that he remains crippled and on the verge of death. The Parliament, the Prosecutor’s Office and the authorities became interested in the incident after it was covered by media.

The following is a description of the events that took place. In August of 2005, the President of Ukraine, Viktor Ushenko, visited Georgia. In order to show him Swaneti, the Georgian President took him to Mestia. For their protection, many police officers and special forces were mobilized to the area. The incident took place after the Presidents had already left. Although the guests had returned to Tbilisi, some police officers remained in the area. Tsalani was driving home when the people wearing special uniforms asked him to stop the car. The victim recalled what happened: “Nowadays everybody dresses in special military uniforms and carries weapons. They just seemed strange so I carried on my way. They started shooting and stopped me. They beat me severely because I did not stop when they motioned at me to do so”.

Tsalani was seriously injured. Nine months have passed since the incident. He hardly eats or speaks. He is so weak that he is bed bound. Doctors say it is doubtful that he will ever recover. Despite the fact that his family applied to the Svaneti Prosecutor’s Office, a criminal case in regards to the incident was not started. Among the perpetrators, Tsalani only managed to identify Chikovani, an officer of the Mestia Police Department.
 
The Chairperson of Parliament became interested in the case and instructed the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee to investigate the case of Tsalani’s beating. She stressed that if the facts, publicized by the broadcasting company, are discovered to be true, those responsible must be severely punished.

The Parliamentary Opposition also was severe in their call for someone to be held accountable. They demand that Vano Merabishvili, the Minister of Internal Affairs, be held responsible. “Akhalaia and other staff members within the Department of Constitutional Security are suspects in the barbarous beating of Tsalani. It is obvious that the Internal Ministry is a real danger to the population. Data Akhalaia and his colleagues are also suspected of murdering Girgvliani - that is why this beating has not yet been investigated. The Ministry of Internal Affairs should be cleansed of such killers” - stated representative of the Parliamentary Opposition, Koka Guntsadze.

Elene Tevdoradze, the Head of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee and the Ombudsman, Sozar Subari, both visited the victim. Subari told the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre that two prosecutors as well as the three original suspects must be punished, so as to be an example to others. “Revaz Tsalani’s chest is broken both horizontally and vertically. Doctors think he has either cancer or a blood clot. He had not been examined by an expert. Now he is undergoing medical examination at the Oncological Hospital. He is very weak. He told me that he could identify only Chikovani amongst those who assaulted him. At first Tsalani applied to the Mestia Prosecutor - Gurchiani but he refused to start an investigation. Then he addressed the General Prosecutor’s Office. The General Prosecutor’s Office sent the case to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, which in turn instructed the Prosecutor’s Office in Mestia to commence the case. Gurchiani had a duty to start the case, however, he has still done nothing about it”, says Sozar Subari.

Because the victim insisted on investigating the case, Chikovani came to him and told him the names of the three police officers who had beaten him. These three people work within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since then a criminal case has been started regarding the incident and Subari believes that it will be successfully carried out. “It is important that the case commences. If everything is proved to be true; four people must be punished under the article concerning torture and the prosecutor should also be severely punished”.

Eka Gulua