Giorgi Mindadze

Apprehended

Tortured

Violence

Prisoner

G. Mindadze

Giorgi
Mindadze

21-year-old Giorgi Mindadze is a medical university student. He was arrested on December 1st in the Mtskheta municipality while visiting his cousin's house with his mother. The prosecution alleges that he is charged with throwing pyrotechnics at law enforcement representatives, under Article 353, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which involves assaulting a police officer, a special penitentiary service employee, or another representative of the authorities or a public institution, and provides for imprisonment from 4 to 7 years.

According to Giorgi's mother, Nino Tsulaia, law enforcement representatives were surveilling him before the arrest, followed them on their way to Mtskheta, and then arrested him. During the arrest, the mother was not provided with information about her son's subsequent location, and Tsulaia contacted several departments to determine his whereabouts.

«When they took him, we were holding hands, and they ripped us apart... »
— Nino Tsulaia

The Tbilisi City Court ordered Giorgi Mindadze to be detained as a preventive measure. The prosecution presented a photograph taken on November 29th, depicting the defendant holding pyrotechnics, and the testimony of a police officer, according to which the pyrotechnics thrown by Giorgi Mindadze caused him injury.

Several violations were revealed during the court proceedings. According to the lawyer, there is no corroborating evidence, including in the interrogation protocol, that the pyrotechnics hit the police officer, or about the direction of the firing. Also, the investigator provided incorrect information to the court regarding the defendant's place of arrest.

Specifically, during the court hearing, investigator Sopiko Loladze was called as a witness by the prosecution, and she stated that Giorgi Mindadze's arrest took place at the police station, where he voluntarily appeared based on an official summons. Regarding this, the family states that the arrest took place in the village of Tsilkani, at a relative's residence. The lawyer claims that the information provided to the court by the investigator does not reflect the complete and objective picture.

«Giorgi wasn't positively inclined towards any party, nor did he represent the face of any party. He was a student and wanted a European Georgia, not to go back, that was his enthusiasm.»
—Nino Tsulaia.

According to the lawyer, there is no corroborating evidence, including in the interrogation protocol, that the pyrotechnics hit the police officer, or about the direction of the firing. Also, the investigator provided incorrect information to the court regarding the defendant's place of arrest.

Giorgi Mindadze remains in custody. The judge explained this decision by the fact that there is a risk of committing a new crime, since Mindadze has been previously convicted twice: one conviction for a property-related offense and the other for drug-related offenses.

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