On May 9, Ucha Abashidze, a prominent pro-Ukrainian military blogger and an activist against the Foreign Agents bill, was arrested by police for allegedly illegally purchasing and storing weapons and ammunition after his house was searched by a group of policemen who did not allow anyone to enter the property, including Ucha’s lawyer and family members.
There was a heavy police mobilization near his home. The search lasted for two hours without the lawyer being allowed to enter the building. The lawyer was only allowed to speak with Abashidze for a few minutes after his arrest. After searching the house for hours, the police took out bags full of what appeared to be technical equipment, such as personal computers.
Abashidze’s lawyer, Giorgi Makharadze, told Formula TV that he was arrested under Article 236 of the Georgian Criminal Code (Illegal purchase, storage, carrying, manufacture, transportation, transfer or sale of firearms (other than smooth-bore hunting firearms (shotguns)), ammunition, explosives or explosive devices).
Abashidze’s friend’s home is also reportedly being searched. Protesters gathered around Abashidze’s house almost immediately after his search was announced on television, they chanted his name and spoke to the policemen, calling on them not to execute illegal orders.
On May 11, Ucha Abashidze’s wife, Mariam Iashvili was also detained.
On the same day, Teimuraz Kupatadze, the Director of the Central Criminal Police Department of the MIA, held a briefing on the case and said that the investigation against Ucha Abashidze and Mariam Iashvili had been opened under the criminal charges of Article 157 Prime (unlawful obtaining and storage of private life secrets) and Article 236 (illegal purchase and storage of firearms and ammunition).
According to Kupatadze, on May 4, the Central Criminal Police Department began investigating the cases of cyber attacks on the websites of the MIA, the Ministry of Justice, and the Georgian Parliament. As part of the investigation, the houses of Ucha Abashidze and Mariam Iashvili were searched on May 9.
The MIA says that Ucha Abashidze, together with his wife, Mariam Iashvili, intended to illegally obtain and store the secrets of private lives of various individuals, in particular, the materials depicting an intimate relationship.” For this purpose, the MIA says, the house of Abashidze’s wife, Iashvili, was “secretly equipped with video-audio recording devices, which secretly ensured the illegal recording of the latter’s intimate relationship with various individuals.” The MIA says that both Abashidze and Iashvili “regularly” and “illegally” recorded the intimate content with others and stored the secrets of personal lives of “hundreds of individuals.” The MIA adds that these files contain information on Georgian and foreign citizens and, in some cases, public figures. “…the computer equipment of Ucha Abashidze and devices carrying electronic information seized from the apartment of his spouse as a result of the conducted search, contained illegally obtained pornographic visual materials and personal secrets of others,” the MIA says.
As for Ucha Abashidze specifically, the MIA says that police found firearms and “various special tools” in his house, as well as “military cartridges, which the detainee was keeping illegally.”
Meanwhile, the manner in which the search of Abashidze’s house was conducted has raised fears of a deliberate planting of evidence. Saba Brachveli, a lawyer, says that most of the weapons on display are actually airsoft guns, as well as legally registered firearms. A similar statement was made earlier by Abashidze’s brother. This has also cast doubt on another charge now pending against both Abashidze and Iashvili regarding the illegal storage of pornography.
Also Read:
- 09/05/2024 – Another Attack on Opposition Representative and Protest Participant
- 09/05/2024 – Orchestrated Intimidation of Protesters Against Agents’ Bill
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