Detainees Will be Tried At the End of the Month in Abkhazia

On December 27, 2006 three Georgian citizens were detained in Abkhazia for illegal crossing the border. Mirian Kikacheishvili, Avtandil Chachibaia and Lasha Sichinava have had no contacts with their families since that time. The relatives of the detainees applied to the Human Rights Center’s Kutaisi office for help.

“Nearly two months have passed since they were detained and we do not know how they are. We have petitioned everybody: Officials from the Georgian Government and various Non-governmental organizations in vain.   They say it is difficult to deal with the Abkhazian side. This answer cannot comfort us and makes us more annoyed,” said Tamar Kachibaia, a wife of Mirian Kikacheishvili.

Today, Kachibaia met Teona Kuchava, representative of the Public Defender to Imereti region. Kuchava said that she can claim the detainees were not guilty, because she does not know whether they have documents in order, or they had committed any crime, etc. The representative of the Public Defender cannot give legal estimation to the fact.

Today, Kikacheishvili’s wife has petitioned to the Georgina Public Defender, which stated; “We urge to assist our family to survive from this most difficult situation. If you kindly help us, we could get in touch with the detainees and find out in what conditions they are there.”

Relatives of detained persons declare that they suppose the detainees are placed in the Sokhumi Police Department.

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi