13 April 2012, 22:10
In Georgia, suspects of committing terror acts complain of torture
Merab Kolbaya and Gogita Arkaniya, convicted on charges of organizing terror acts in the territory of Georgia, have changed their initial evidences. As stated by their advocate Gela Nikolaishvili, Kolbaya and Arkaniya had earlier evidenced under pressure.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that last June the Tbilisi City Court sentenced 15 figurants in the case of terror acts in Georgian territory, including Evgeniy Borissov, a serviceman of the Russian armed forces stationed in Abkhazia. Kolbaya and Arkaniya were among the convicts.
According to the advocate, Merab Kolbaya refused to plead guilty of involvement in organizing the terror act and said that he had made his confession under torture. He also gave details of the physical pressure on him: he said that he had been initially tortured at detention in Chuburzhindji, and then at the Gldani prison No. 8, the "Georgia Online" reports.
As for Arkaniya, he had admitted only organization of terror acts in Tbilisi; as to other regions he stated that he had to confess under pressure of Russian officials, who threatened him that otherwise "his family in Gali would have problems," said Nikolaishvili.
The advocate has added that the case was declassified, and reporters will be admitted to the next court session, scheduled for April 18, the "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.
