Opposition Representatives Are Persecuted in Khobi Too

Nona Salaghaia

The Conservative Party protests the detention of Ioseb Keburia and blames the government for persecuting the opposition on political grounds.

As it was officially reported, on June 17, Keburia was stopped in the street in Khobi and detained for the possession and use of narcotics.

“After Ioseb Keburia was taken to the police station he was made to drink a narcotic substance mixed in the water he had requested. Then he took a drug-test and it showed that he was under the influence of narcotics. Later on, Ioseb Keburia was compelled by threats to plead guilty,” said Kakha Kukava, leader of the Conservative Party at the special press conference.

Keburia was sentenced to two-month pre-trial imprisonment.

Kukava stated that representatives of the opposition parties, who participated in the rallies and now return to their regions, are persecuted. The situation is particularly grave in the Samegrelo region, more precisely in the Khobi district. The head of the Khobi district police department openly threatens and persecutes participants in the rallies.

Mamuka Kardava, chairman of the Conservative Party organization in the Khobi district, was allowed to meet Keburia at the trial. Keburia told his friend that policemen pushed him into the car and took him to the drug-center. He said he knew that everything that was happening to him was because of his active participation in the rallies.

60-year-old Keburia was not afraid of being drug tested because it was absurd for him to be detained for that. He has heart-problems and at the drug-center Keburia felt bad and requested medicines. So, he drank water with medicine and after that he felt even worse. Later, Keburia was tested on drugs and it showed that he was under their influence. A colleague from the party supposes that narcotic substance was mixed up in the water which was offered to Keburia when taking medicine. The document on drug-test states that Keburia had a small number of drugs with him while detained. However, the detainee did not see the evidence though he was forced to sign the document where he pleaded having had drugs with him.

The investigator suggested that Keburia not hire an attorney and avoid extra expenses because the prosecutor’s office would definitely find him guilty and finally he would be fined with 3 000 GEL. He suggested that Keburia to think about getting enough money to pay the fine rather than looking for an attorney.

Edisher Jobava, chairman of the Khobi district organization of the Alliance for Georgia, also was detained. The witnesses claim that law enforcers made Jobava get off a mini-bus, gave a gun and drugs in his hand and told him that he was the owner of the planted things. Deputy Chairperson of the Khobi district organization of the Republic Party Kakhaber Benidze said that witnesses avoid making statements and that that is natural. “The repressions of 1937 are being repeated in Khobi district; so everybody is concerned about him/herself,” said Benidze.

According to the Republic Party since April 9 more than 30 activists have been detained and charged under criminal law and 80 people have been charged under administrative law. 12 opposition party members are still in detention.

Kukava said that within one year and half they studied about 400 cases of the people detained on political grounds and 380 of them are detained for illegal possession of drugs and guns. “The only evidence in each case is the document on search which is drawn up by policemen. There is no witness mentioned in the document except policemen. That means, people detained on political grounds have narcotics and guns planted on them. In fact, they have not committed any crime; they are persecuted on political grounds,” said Kukava.

According to the leader of the Conservative Party the society of Georgia is approaching a dangerous limit when it will be impossible to protect the members of political parties by judicial means. “The government and personally dictator Saakashvili will be responsible for the situation,” said Kukava.