Public Defender Demands to Punish Patrol Policemen

Tbilisi. 02.11.06. Media News. 'Mghebrishvilism is flourishing in Georgia,"-stated Sozar Subar, Public Defender of Georgia. Today he made comments about several facts of dispersing the hunger strike, held by members of 'Council of Veterans', also he criticized detention of several hunger strikers.

According to Public Defender, peaceful legal demonstrations of hunger strikers were dispersed by Patrol Police several times. Later on seven members of the organization were arrested. Thus they violated rights to assembling and expression.

Public Defender stated that on November 1, hunger strikers were forced into patrol cars and taken to Addiction Department to examine them. However the examination did not prove they were under influence of drug. "Three of the detainees are the disabled people of the second group and one of them is a disabled man of the first group. Demonstrators stated that the three men got worse in the patrol police building and demanded to measure blood pressure for them, however was impossible. After that the detainees demanded to call ambulance but they were refused. Demonstrators said that the policemen neither drew up a report nor explained the reason of detention on the scene. Detainees were not allowed to be defended by lawyers. Regarding the facts we deal with premeditated, illegal detention and inhuman treatment.  According to Criminal Code of Georgia, Article 147, premeditated, arbitrary detention is charged either by two or from five to eight years imprisonment. Inhuman treatment is condemned under Criminal Code of Georgia Article 144 (III). It is charged by 4-6years imprisonment."-stated Sozar Subar.

He said that he has already appealed to Georgian Deputy General Prosecutor, Giorgi Latsabidze and to the head of Tbilisi Patrol Police Department Giorgi Grigalashvili to react on the fact immediately and punish patrol policemen according to the legislation.