Detained Observer Released

CSOs Celebrate Victory of Justice

National CSOs met in Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) to celebrate human rights day. Civil activist also celebrated the release of Giorgi Mshvenieradze, GYLA observer, after 35 days of detainment in Adjara Autonomous Republic.

Giorgi Mshvenieradze, 21, was detained by Adjara Autonomous Republic police on the day of elections, in Kobuleti, where he was observing the election process. At the polling station Mshvenieradze noticed an attempt of local inhabitant for elections fraud.

GYLA observer was arrested by the police and detained until the final ruling. He was accused of hooliganism, and deliberate attempts to impede elections at one of the precincts of Kobuleti. Afterwards, Giorgi Mshvenieradze was sentenced to three-month pre-trail detention by the Adjara local court.

“The person was simply protecting the law and because of that he was under arrest”-Zaza Rukhadze, of GYLA said at the meeting.

The detainment lasted for 35 days, while the local and international CSOs, media representatives and citizens had various attempts to react of the case. Civil activists developed a joint letter to the president, where they expressed their concern with the detainment of the observer and asked the respectful governmental officials to release innocent GYLA observer.

Georgian nationals abroad expressed their position and sent several letters to Aslan Abashidze, the head of Adjara Autonomous Republic, Nana Devdariani, former head of the Central Elections Commission, and governmental agencies in which they asked the addressees to investigate the issue fairly. 

Giorgi Mshvenieradze was released on December 7 2003.

“We achieved the release of Giorgi Mshvenieradze, only with the active help of local and international organizations, mass media and diplomatic corps”-Tina Khidasheli of GYLA said at the meeting.

“I knew the problems would be there [Adjara], but still decided to be the observer in Kobuleti and protect the rights of those citizens who would vote there”-said Giorgi Mshvenieradze at the meeting.

At the end of the meeting GYLA awarded Giorgi with the gift photo, expressing the situation of “Rose Revolution”.

“Giorgi had no chance to see and attend those events, therefore we decided to gave him this present, were the main event of the revolution is expressed”-Zura Burduli of GYLA said.

Attending civil activists, singers and artists wrote their wishes on the passé-partout.