Luka Ramazashvili – A Private Detainee of the Local Authority

Luka Ramazashvili – A Private Detainee of the Local Authority

‘Victims’ Speak Out About Intimidation by Prosecutor’s Office

Luka Ramazashvili is Head of the Kakheti Regional Office of ‘Mretsvelebi’ (‘Enterprisers’) and is one of the cofounders of the ‘Kazbegi- phshaveli’ company. He is a detainee of the Local Authority, a fact proved by the events that took place at his trial. The so called ‘victims’ categorically deny that Ramazashvili was responsible for any threats or acts of intimidation. They state in private that they were forced to give testimonies against the detainee by the Prosecutor’s Office and other concerned parties.

On 31st of January 2006, Kakheti County Prosecutors arrested Luka Ramazashvili, charging him with stealing 13 construction tiles and robbery. “In December 2005, Enterpriser Luka Ramazashvili, who at the same time was Chairman of the Kakheti Regional Veterans Department, stole property worth nearly 40 thousand GEL. A case was launched against him under articles 177 and 187 of the Criminal Code. The investigation showed that some other crimes were also committed by him”, Vazha Maghradze, Kakheti County Deputy-Prosecutor, told us.

The Prosecutor added other accusations after the owner of construction tiles appeared.  Gela Niniashvili, who lives in Akhmeta, declared that the property had belonged to him and that nobody had robbed him. For his conflicting testimony, Naniashvili was jailed in a preliminary detention isolator.  

According to Aleksi Shoshikelashvili, Ramazashvili’s solicitor, his accusers then remembered that Azeri citizens could be forced more easily to give testimonies in their favor. This is why there are many testimonies given by Azeris in the criminal case launched against Ramazashvili. The so called ‘victims’ however categorically deny that Ramazashvili or his representatives threatened or intimidated them during the court proceedings.

“Luka has neither threatened me nor my friends. We have not had any argument with him and he has not taken anything from us either. I gave a different testimony during the preliminary investigation, but I did not know what else to do. I didn’t have an interpreter and I don’t know the Georgian language well. I repeated what I was prompted to say. I was told that this was necessary and what could I do? Now when the judge asks me a question, I answer with everything I know and how I know it”, pointed out Shais Mail Murtaz Oghli, one of the ‘victims’ - others agreed with him too.

The ‘victims’ did not confirm being asked or forced by Ramazashvili’s relatives to change the testimonies they gave in court. Moreover, they point out that if did give a true testimony to the court, they would have serious problems.

Giorgi Bachiashvili, Prosecutor at the Kakheti County Prosecutor’s Office, asked Judge Lia Otarashvili to postpone the hearing of the case during the trial several times. Because these requests were groundlessness, the Judge did not allow any of them, something that evidently annoyed the prosecutor’s side. As a result of the ‘victims’ controversial testimonies, Bachiashvili demanded that they be questioned again - a demand followed by protests from Shalva Shavgulidze, Ramazashvili’s solicitor.

“The prosecutor wants to oppress the people for having given true testimonies to the court today, by questioning them again. If the court allowed it, they would be arrested by any means and forced to change their testimonies”, pointed out Shavgulidze, the lawyer.

Judge Lia Otarashvili refused to allow the Prosecutor’s requests. Having questioned the witnesses, the discussion of the case was postponed for several days. Other solicitors also present in the courtroom asked why Ramazashvili had been detained. We wanted to ask Prosecutor Bachiashvili the same question, but the Prosecutor had left the hall even before the judge herself had left.

The NGO the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, supported by the Human Resources Office of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, have begun to monitor Luka Ramazashvili’s trial.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti