Georgia: Tsotne Gamsakhurdia accused of putsch attempt refuses to plead guilty

The middle son of the first President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia - Tsotne, detained on September 3 in Tbilisi Airport on charges of a coup d'etat in Georgia, refuses to plead guilty, reports Keti Bekauri, one of his advocates.

"Tsotne Gamsakhurdia gave his evidences to the investigation and rejected all the charges. He refused to use his right to keep silent," Ms Bekauri said.

The "InterpressNews" reports with reference to the advocate that the decision on the freedom restriction measure for the detainee will be made by the Tbilisi City Court tomorrow, on September 5.

According to Elgudzha Akhalaya, another Tsotne Gamsakhurdia's advocate, the detainee had realized that should he come to Georgia, he would be arrested, however, despite it, he all the same arrived to the country.

Giga Giorgadze, Ombudsman's representative, was present at the building where interrogation was conducted; he has noted that there were no remedial violations as applied to the detainee.

Under the existing information, the defendant will be accused of betrayal of Motherland, a putsch attempt and espionage. Should his guilt be proved, he can be sentenced to up 20 years of imprisonment.

Tsotne's mother - Manana Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia tried to get a meeting with him, but she was rejected. "He's arrived to share the grief of his nation. He committed no crime," Ms Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia told the agency.

Manana Archvadze-Gamsakhurdia asserts that her son was detained at the Tbilisi international airport after his returning to Tbilisi without any grounds. "President of Georgia reckons with our family. Mikhail Saakashvili has always hated him, he hated all our family. He is a dictator and uses every method to strengthen his power," she told the "Gazeta" newspaper correspondent.

However, the Georgian MIS has stated that Gamsakhurdia was in search since last November. Then, Georgian TV made public Gamsakhurdia's telephone conversations with the leaders of the opposition. Mr Gamsakhurdia had accused the opposition of hesitancy during mass rallies in Tbilisi.

Goga Khaindrava, one of the leaders of the united Georgian opposition, has stated that Tsotne Gamsakhurdia was never mixed up in politics, moreover in espionage, moreover in cooperation with Russian special agencies. "How can a person, who hasn't lived in Georgia for almost 15 years exercise espionage? He has also never been in the ranks of the opposition. I think that his detention is a political order of the authorities of Georgia," Mr Khaindrava said.