Detained photographers “confess”

A Foreign Ministry freelance photographer detained on charges of espionage for Russia, Giorgi Abdaladze has “confessed” in his testimony, Abdaladze’s advocates and a head of a NGO Solidarity to Unlawful Prisoners, Eka Beselia told journalists on Saturday after meeting with the detained photographer. The lawyers said they have “many questions” over the alleged confession and that it cannot be considered as a ground for pleading guilty. Beselia said the investigators knew in advance that he would have confessed because the confession was “filmed by three cameras simultaneously.” According to Beselia, 10 minutes before Abdaladze confessed he told her that he was not going to confess. “But 10 minutes later when the interrogation, attended by the investigator started, Abdaladze made a confession,” she said.

Giorgi Abdaladze was detained on July 7 together with Irakli Gedenidze, personal photographer of the Georgian president, Gedenidze’s wife Natia, European Pressphoto Agency’s photojournalist Zurab Kutsikidze and Associated Press photo reporter Shakh Aivazov. Law enforcers released Aivazov several hours after detention. Natia Gedenidze was freed on bail. The President’s personal photographer confessed last week, saying that Kurtsikidze of EPA had used blackmail to force him to provide certain materials to him.

Right after Abdaladze’s lawyers informed reporters about his confession, the Georgian Main Prosecutor’s Office released a statement, saying that the investigation is in progress over the detention of the photojournalists. “The process of interrogation of the suspects. Today Irakli Abdaladze was questioned in presence of the advocates. The public will be informed about additional details and the content of the interrogation on Monday,” the statement reads.

Meanwhile some of the Georgian journalists and human rights activists, who have been staging protest rallies and demanding declassifying the photographer’s case said the alleged confession will change nothing. “We will continue our activities,” a media expert and an active campaigner said. According to Ia Antadze, it is impossible for someone to plead guilty based only on his confession. “We want to know exactly how justified the accusations towards our colleagues are, we should not change the axis of our protest. We were not dependant on what one person, or a second or third would say,” Antadze said “If we want to live in a normal state, we should demand that when someone is accused of something, the accusation should be based on solid documentation. Until we know on what documents our colleagues' charges are based, we should be demanding those documents and putting on pressure,” she added.

Zviad Koridze of Journalism Ethic Charter said despite the “confessions” of the photojournalist, the protests should go on. “Unfortunately there have been cases in Georgia when confessions alone can become a base for convicting a person. Personally for me, Abdaladze’s confession is not a decisive fact... The investigation should have other proof as well,” he said.

The wife of Giorgi Abdaladze, Nestan Neidze said that her husband most probably “was forced to make a confession under pressure.” Neidze said that otherwise he would not have confessed. “Especially considering that he was fighting for truth and was on hunger strike for 7 days,” Neidze noted, adding however that there has been no pressure on her family. “But I do not possess any actual information as to what is happening in the prison and I have no chance to find out about his views. The advocates have signed [a document on not disclosing the details of the case] and they are scared and are not able to tell me anything,” she added.

Georgian Public Defender, Giorgi Tugushi said he met the detained photojournalists in prison. In a statement posted on the Ombudsman’s official website, Tugushi spoke with the detainees face to face. “All three photo reporters said that they are being treated normally and that no physical or psychological pressure is being put on them,” the statement reads “the detainees said that at this stage they have not been introduced to the specific proof of the case. Zurab Kurtsikidze is being provided with medication and is under the attention of a doctor,” it continues.