Zaza Khatiashvili: “Lawyers Should not Forget Detention of Lawyer Natia Siradze”

Tako Khutsishvili

Executive Council of the Bar Association appealed against the detention of lawyer Natia Siradze at the Appeal Court. However, since there were no new circumstances in case materials, the judge Manuchar Kapanadze did not accept the appeal.

Attorney of Natia Siradze Zaza Khatiashvili said there are so many violations in case materials, the judge was obliged to discuss our appeal. However, according to the new law, if there is no new circumstance in the proceeding, the Appeal Court will not discuss the case.

Lawyer Natia Siradze was detained on December 3 for persuading a witness to give false testimony. She was charged under Article 372 Part I of the Criminal Code of Georgia and the crime is punished by the imprisonment from 1 to 3 years. Attorney of Natia Siradze explains the detention of his client as a politically motivated detention. His doubt is reinforced by the fact that investigation charges her about the fact that occurred two years ago.

“There was no ground for her detention except political. Natia Siradze was attorney of Koba Otanadze, a suspect for the so-called Mukhrovani Mutiny. This case is really very important because entire society saw there was no mutiny in military base at all. It was next show staged by Mikheil Saakashvili in order to deceive the society. Siradze and lawyers like her did not allow him to finish the show. Imprisonment of Natia Siradze is issue of dignity of Georgian lawyers and they should not forget this insult,” said Zaza Khatiashvili.

According to the attorney, commission on political prisoners in Georgian prisons, whose members are representatives of Conservative Party and non-governmental organizations, inserted Natia Siradze on the list of political prisoners.

Executive Council of Bar Association is ready to be a guardian of the detained lawyer. The lawyers of Georgia will gather in near future in order to plan protest rallies in support of Natia Siradze.