Internal Affairs Official Accused of Abuse of Power

Georgia’s Prosecutor General has officially indicted Goderdzi Tevzadze – a Ministry of Internal Affairs inspector-general, on charges of abuse of power and driving a 22-year-old man named Demur Sturua to commit suicide.

“Our investigation revealed that Tevzadze – who serves in the Samtredia District Division in the western region of Imereti – psychological pressured and physically intimidated Sturua and drove him to take his own life,” the statement of the POG reads.

The prosecutor’s Office filed a motion with the Kutaisi City Court, ordering Tevzadze’s arrest. If found guilty,Tevzadze will be given a five to eight-year prison term.

Sturua’s family has demanded the harshest possible punishment for Tevzadze, saying he had tortured Sturua before he committed suicide.

Sturua committed suicide on August 8.

Before hanging himself, he wrote in his suicide letter that a local policeman had tortured and threatened him in order to gain information about local residents who grew marijuana.

Georgia’s Public Defender, Ucha Nanuashvili, has called for a full inquiry into the death of Sturua as well as a review of the country’s drug laws, which he considers too severe.

“A thorough investigation is extremely important to establish the cause of death and to determine whether Tevzadze was connected to it,” Nanuashvili said in a prepared statement.

Ana Natsvlishvili, the head of Georgia’s Young lawyers Association (GYLA) has questioned whether law enforcement officials carried out a proper investigation.

Natsvlishvili believes too much time was spent on identifying the suspect, adding that she believes Tevzadze’s actions were covered up by other law enforcement officers.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller