Akhalaia and high-ranking military officials detained

Former Minister of Internal Affairs Bacho Akhalaia was detained early on the morning of November 7th after giving a four-hour testimony given at the Prosecutor General’s Office. Chief of Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Giorgi Kalandadze and Chief of the 4th Brigade Zurab Shamatava were detained as well for violating their official duties during Akhalaia’s tenure as Defense Minister in 2011.

Davit Dekanoidze, one of Akhalaia’s lawyers, said the three suspects deny any wrongdoing. Dekanoidze said their detention is based on insufficient evidence. Several dismissed employees of the Defense Ministry have complained of being publicly insulted by Akhalaia but Dekanoidze said this is an “absurd” reason for detention.

Akhalaia’s friends from the United National Movement (UNM) accuse the ruling Georgian Dream government of a slander campaign against the former minister and think he is a political detainee. UNM Member of Parliament Pavle Kublashvili said Akhalaia returned to Georgia after almost a month abroad to cooperate with the investigation and has shown a complete readiness to answer any questions concerning his activities.

Secretary of the National Security Council Giga Bokeria demanded that the government immediately release the three detainees. Bokeria claims that detaining the three men may not only harm Georgia’s democratization process but also endanger its international prestige.

UNM parliamentary leader Davit Bakradze said this case could be a serious test and a challenge for the new government. Bakradze stated that this case will show whether Georgian Dream is following legal procedures or is taking politically motivated acts of retribution.

He said the NATO summit scheduled in December 2012 is approaching and the detention of the Chief of Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces would negatively reflect on the country’s image.

Vice Speaker of Parliament Manana Kobakhidze said no one will be politically persecuted but those who have committed a crime should pay for it. Georgian Dream MP Gedevan Popkhadze said that the former administration persecuted people for political reasons during their eight years of governance.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili will personally control investigation of the Akhalaia-Kalandadze case. According to Prime Minister Ivanishvili they were detained not for political reasons but for violating the law. Ivanishvili said on Wednesday that the rule of law is more important than any political party.

Akhalaia, Kalandadze and Shamatava remain in preliminary detention and face a possible five to eight years' detention. Due to the high public interest in the case the Ministry of Justice published testimonies of the five witnesses against Akhalaia, Kalandadze and Shamatava. Six former Georgian Army soldiers have accused the three detained individuals of verbal and physical abuse and unfair dismissal from the army.

According to one witness's testimony he was taken to Akhalaia’s office where Kalandadze and Shamatava were also present. The witness said the three men assaulted him and several other soldiers for expressing their discontent with the Ministry of Defense administration. The witness claimed that after he was dismissed from the armed forces he was warned not to leave the country. Other witnesses' testimonies made similar claims.

Later on Wednesday President Mikheil Saakashvili encouraged everyone on his Facebook page to respect the rights of citizens and the rule of law. The President expressed his support for the “August war hero” Kalandadze and added that although everyone is equal before the law Kalandadzes's detention was unbefitting of someone of his rank.

President Saakashvili encouraged Georgian politicians to take responsible steps not to harm the country's future and be ready to cooperate. “Nothing should be done against the country,” the President's stated.