For Immediate Release
November 21, 2002
(Georgian)

Alleged assailant attends court armed with gun—reporter expelled from courtroom by mob

TBILISI, Georgia—Today, attorneys for victims appearing in a criminal case delivered a letter to Georgian authorities strongly protesting the lack of security in the Tbilisi Didube-Chughureti District Court, where defrocked priest Vasili Mkalavishvili and associate Petre (Gia) lvanidze are being prosecuted for violent attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses. Eyewitnesses report seeing Ivanidze carrying a handgun inside the courtroom during proceedings on November 18.

The letter demands that when the criminal trial resumes on December 6, no one apart from police be allowed to bring weapons into the courtroom. Copies of the document have been sent to Justice Lado Chanturia, the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia, to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and to other high level Georgian officials. International observers have noted adequate security outside the court building each day since the trial commenced on October 25, 2002. However, as stated by Gregory Olds, an attorney from the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York, who has been present every day of the proceedings: "The safety of the victims inside the courtroom must be given the highest priority. It is intolerable that someone indicted for criminal acts be allowed inside the courtroom with a firearm."

Adding to the breach in security, the packed courtroom was the scene of a verbal assault on reporter Sozar Subeliani. Defendant Ivanidze and other supporters of Mkalavishvili yelled at and threatened Subeliani during a recess in the proceedings and demanded that he leave the courtroom. Observers noted that court staff insisted that Subeliani leave the courtroom in order to pacify the mob.

The prosecution of Mkalavishvili and Ivanidze is unique. In many other instances, despite being provided with eyewitness testimony, photographs and video clips of criminal acts, Georgian prosecutors have refused to indict the men.

So far, victims of the violent attacks on Jehovah's Witnesses have filed 784 criminal complaints with Georgian authorities. To date, no one has been arrested or punished.

Telephone: +905 32 76 23 59 Facsimile: +995 32 76 95 98

Digital video footage of Ivanidze and other supporters of Vasili Mkalavishvili threatening Sozar Subeliani, a reporter for Radio Liberty, demanding that he leave the courtroom during a recess on November 18 is available to the media upon request.