GYLA believes that the physical assault on the member of Ozurgeti City Assembly- Beso Katamadze might be a persecution of a person because of his speech, expression of opinion or his political, social and professional activities.
According to Katamadze, on June 15th of this year, a few members of the same City Assembly physically assaulted him. [1] The cause of the confrontation was critical opinions against the members of Ozurgeti City Assembly spread by him through a social network. [2] The victim notes that the members of the Ozurgeti City Assembly summoned him to the building of the City Assembly where he was physically assaulted by them. As a result, he has numerous injuries to the body.
Regarding the above mentioned fact, the investigation has launched in Ozurgeti Municipality Police Division on the crime envisaged by the first part of the Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which implies beating or other violence that has caused physical pain to the injured.
GYLA believes that the Criminal Case proceedings are underway supposedly with deficiencies:
-The Criminal persecution is underway against one person, despite the fact that Beso Katamadze was physically assaulted very likely by several persons.
-The investigation is ongoing under the first part of the Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, despite the fact that the action taken against Beso Katamadze is very likely to contain components of the crime envisaged by Paragraph “a” of the Second part of the Article 156 of the Criminal Code. Namely, persecution of persons by violence or threat of violence, because of their speech, opinion, conscience, confession, faith or creed, or political, social, professional, religious or scientific activities.
We call upon the investigative body to conduct the investigation in the shortest possible time, in every way, completely and objectively, with the qualification relevant to the criminal case, in order to prevent such facts.
GYLA defends interests of the injured Beso Katamadze.
