22:00, 29 June 2010

Tsotne Ghamsakhurdia resumes hunger strike in Georgia

Tsotne Ghamsakhurdia, the son of the first Georgian president Zviad Ghamsakhurdia, who is in prison now, has resumed his hunger strike, reports lawyer Keti Bekauri.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that Tsotne Ghamsakhurdia stopped the hunger strike on June 22.

According to the lawyer, Ghamsakhurdia had to suspend his hunger strike for several days due to his health, reports the "Novosti-Gruzia" newspaper.

"The demands of my defendant are still in force, he resumes his hunger strike to defend the rights of prisoners", says Bekauri.

The lawyer reports that hearings in the court of appeal on the case of Ghamsakhurdia have been appointed on July 6. The defense appeals against the ruling of Tbilisi city court under which Tsotne Ghamsakhurdia was sentenced to 9.5 years of prison under the charge of attempted murder, illegal storage and wearing of arms.

Bekauri has also sent an application to the European Court of Human Rights.