Amnesty International

Pétition adressée au procureur général de la Géorgie Giorgi Kvirkashvili

Mr

Giorgi

Gvarakidze

Prosecution

Dear Giorgi Gvarakidze,

I am writing to express grave concern regarding the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of activist Saba Skhvitaridze, who was arrested on 5 December 2024 after participating in an anti-government protest. He was beaten by police officers and denied access to legal counsel and medical care.

His arrest and trial have been marred with violations of fair trial guarantees. Police officers failed to
explain the reasons for his arrest and refused to activate their body cameras as required by Georgian law.
Officers also confiscated both Saba’s and his father’s mobile phones to prevent him from contacting his
lawyer and he was then interrogated without his lawyer being present. His whereabouts were only disclosed
to his family and lawyer following his interrogation, five hours later.

Saba reported that, while in custody, he was threatened with rape and forced to sign a “confession” stating he assaulted a police officer. When he refused, masked officers beat him violently, striking his head and ribs continuously for about 10 minutes, attempting to break his arm and causing him to intermittently lose consciousness. Police officers then mocked and ignored his plea for access to a lawyer and medical assistance despite him having injuries that caused him severe pain and nausea.

Despite the visible injuries that Saba displayed at the pre-trial hearing the following day, the prosecution
refused to initiate an investigation into his allegations of torture and other ill-treatment. The authorities
only initiated an investigation days later after an independent medical examination confirmed that his injuries were consistent with torture. Nevertheless, the judge ordered him to be remanded in detention pending trial without providing any justification for the necessity and proportionality of his decision.

Saba Skhvitaridze is one of hundreds of people in Georgia who have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated by law enforcement officials during peaceful protests. He remains held at a high security prison, facing a sentence of up to eleven years while his allegations of torture and other ill-treatment have not been effectively investigated.

I urge you to ensure a prompt, impartial, independent and effective investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of Saba Skhvitaridze and to bring all those responsible to justice in fair trials. I also call on you to ensure that Saba is tried in accordance with international standards for a fair trial and to ensure that any statements or other evidence obtained as a result of torture or other ill- treatment is excluded in all proceedings except those brought against suspected perpetrators of such abuse.
Yours Sincerely,

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