The Detainees Are Refused Medical Assistance

On June 15, policemen initially dispersed and then arrested demonstrators in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Out of 39 detainees only 5 remain in the custody now. The rest were bailed with 400 GEL.

One detainee was sent to prison for 30 days under administrative law and one Valerian Grdzelishvili was sentenced to two-month pre-trial imprisonment. The lawyers of the detainees claim that the severely beaten young people need immediate medical assistance. The members of the youth movements state that their colleague Misha Meskhi has inflammation of nerves. Dachi Tsaguria also should be examined by doctors because he complains of terrible headaches. Dato Patsatsia also has health problems; he started hunger-strike in prison.

Valerian Grdzelishvili and his colleagues were arrested during the dispersal of demonstrators in front of the MIA building. Journalist Irakli Kordzaia stated that he was also assaulted like other participants. Grdzelishvili has bruises and injures on his body. Unlike other detainees Grdzelishvili was imposed with two-month pre-trial imprisonment.

The charge on Valerian Grdzelishvili was complicated because of incident on June 13 in Marjanishvili when strangers blocked the way to Grdzelishvili.

Grdzelishvili was driving the car together with his friends Dachi Tsaguria from the Youth Movement “April 9” and journalist Irakli Kordzaia. Irakli Kordzaia claims that five men armed with truncheons jumped out of the car and approached the car of Grdzelishvili with cursing and shouting. They tried to open all four doors of the car.

Attorney of Valerian Grdzelishvili Keti Bekauri assessed the incident as attack of policemen. The witnesses claim the attackers were policemen based on their behavior. The attorney said the attackers shouted: “Now you cannot escape us, we will arrest you now…”

The attorney said Valerian Grdzelishvili had to drive back rapidly in order to escape the attackers. So, he crashed the mini-bus standing behind them.

“It must be pointed out that the driver of the mini-bus Vasil Ghviniashvili reported to the patrol policemen on the scene of incident that Grdzelishvili crashed his bus when he tried to escape the attackers. However, later the driver, supposedly as a result of psychological oppression, stated in his testimony to the preliminary investigation that the road was free and Valerian Grdzelishvli crashed his mini-bus on purpose,” said Keti Bekauri.

The investigation did not consider those circumstances that expose the situation in favor of Grdzelishvili. The investigation qualified the incident as premeditated crime and sent Grdzelishvili to two-month pre-trial imprisonment.

Before 2006 Valerian Grdzelishvili worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Attorney Keti Bekauri said that her client was arrested on political grounds.

“Furthermore, it was ordered from governmental officials because he worked as a chief-investigator for the Constitutional Security Department in Shida Kartli Region. Recently he actively participated in the rallies. He is close friend of Dachi Tsaguria, member of the “April 9”. During the detention policemen called him a traitor and betrayer.

Grdzelishvili was put in prison for two-month and he is blamed for premeditated damage of other person’s property.