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Protesters in Telavi Demand the Release of Businessman Luka Razikashvili

April 4, 2006

Protesters in Telavi Demand the Release of Businessman Luka Razikashvili

Inhabitants of the Telavi, Gurjaani and Akhmeta regions gathered in front of the Telavi State Theatre Building. The protestors demanded an end to illegal arrests. “Free the illegally detained Luka Ramazashvili immediately”, shouted the protesters. Later they moved to protest in front of Regional Administration Building.

Mikheil Meskhi, a protestor said: “If the state does not stop these illegal arrests, we will continue to hold protests. The next protest will be in Tbilisi.”

The mother of detained businessman Mariam Narchemashvili also attended the protest. She asked high-ranking officials to free her son and reminded them what Ramazashvili did in the past. “I plead to the President and government, I beg the Minister of Interior, Vano Merabishvili, to release my son, who has been arrested illegally. Georgia does not have so many patriots left to afford to lose Luka Ramazashvili. He always stood up for his country. The former government also tried to assassinate him and regretfully, I have to confess, the new government also treats him badly.”

The Telavi Administration is not making any comments. The patrol police are mobilized in front of the Telavi State Theatre.

Lasha Maghradze, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Kakheti region says: “Luka Ramazashvili is accused of committing two crimes: illegally taking state property and a robbery, performed in 1998. The building materials, which Ramazashvili took, were the property of the state and not Gela Niniashvili. In 1998 he also stole 7000 sheep from a citizen. The investigation has not finished yet. Accordingly, I can not say what the decision of court will be.”

The protest ended at 4pm. The protesters however are not going to give up and they will continue to struggle until the state frees Luka Ramazashvili.

Veriko Kobiashvili from Telavi

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