Georgia: court decision on torture case dissatisfies former political prisoners

Members of the organization named "Former Political Prisoners" have criticized the acquittal by the Gori City Court of former employees of the Ksani Prison No. 15.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 9 the Gori City Court passed an acquittal on charges of inhumane treatment of prisoner Petre Ovanov by the former staff and director of the Ksani Prison No. 15. It is planned that the decision will be challenged at the Supreme Court of Georgia.

The former prison employees Levan Lejava, Georgy Pardjanadze, Shota Tolordava and Georgy Chkheidze, who is now on the run, were found non-guilty.

Nana Kakabadze, the head of the "Former Political Prisoners", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the Prosecutor's Office is not carefully enough in conducting the inquiry.

The above Petre Ovanov, who had been convicted of robbery, complained twice about torture methods applied to him, said Irma Chkadua, a lawyer, representing the interests of Georgy Pardjanadze.

According to her story, during the trial no evidence was presented in support of the charges moved by Ovanov against the prison staff.

"During the trial, for several times we managed to prove the facts of false allegations against the defendants; however, it's up to the Prosecutor's Office whether to open a criminal case on perjury," said the lawyer Malkhaz Velidjanashvili.