A chief of one of the police stations in Tbilisi was arrested in connection to beating of a lawyer, Giorgi Mdinaradze, chief prosecutor’s office said on Friday.
Giorgi Mdinaradze, a lawyer from the state-funded Legal Aid Service, says he was beaten by police officers in Tbilisi’s Vake-Saburtalo police station No.5 in early hours of November 8 after advising a detained juvenile to exercise his right to silence.
Mdinaradze, who suffered concussion and bruises on his face, had to spent a day in hospital; he says that he was handcuffed and beaten by about five police officers, among them, the chief of the police station.
Chief of the Vake-Saburtalo police station No.5 Lasha Kvirkvaia was suspended on November 10 and on November 13 the prosecutor’s office announced about arresting Kvirkvaia on charges of “exceeding official powers with use of violence.”
“Investigation is ongoing… under the part three of article 333 of the criminal code, which carries imprisonment from 5 to 8 years as a punishment,” chief prosecutor’s office said on Friday.
Mdinaradze welcomed detention of chief of the police station, but also added that the arrest was made with delay. He also added that other police officers involved in the incident should also face charges.
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