15:50, 27 March 2004

Eduard Shevardnadze's arrested son-in-law shares cell with people accused of grave crimes

Temur Lomsadze, an acting public lawyer, addressed head of the department of penalty execution Shota Kopadze with a recommendation to change the contingent of prisoners in the cell that Gia Dzhokhtaberidze, ex-president Eduard Shevarnadze's son-in-law and a founder of the Magticom company, is being held in. Mr Lomsadze visited Gia Dzhokhtaberidze on March 25. He found him sharing the cell with four prisoners accused of grave crimes. "Gia Dzhokhtaberidze's only request is to change the contingent of the prisoners. He has no other claims to the prison administration," the lawyer said. Besides, according to his information, "German measles, an infection disease," is spread in the 5th investigatory jail.

Gia Dzhokhtaberidze was moved from a solitary cell to a mass one. The accused went on hunger strike because of it. Gia Dzhokhtaberidze's lawyers issued a special statement that there were plans of his physical liquidation in the mass cell.

Editors note: See also the article "Shevarnadze received no guarantees on his family's immunity".

Author: Natiya Djindcharadze, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot