Roshvan Shakhverdov, a resident of Ponichala—a district in Tbilisi—has accused criminal police officers of pressuring and coercing him into spying on fellow residents of the area.
According to him, representatives of the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) are forcing him to cooperate as an informant, threatening to plant drugs and arrest him if he refuses. He claims the police are demanding that he secretly film and gather information on people living in Ponichala who are allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
“I have told them a hundred times, but they keep calling anyway. A man is threatening that if I don’t show up, he will plant 20 grams in my car and have me detained. Tell me, what am I supposed to do? If they call me again after this, I will douse myself with gasoline in front of a camera—I have no other choice left.
He says it directly: if you don’t film your fellow residents (Ponichala is a district of Tbilisi — Ed.) who are allegedly involved with drugs, we will plant 20 grams on you and arrest you.
They come to my house and stop various cars; my wife cannot even go to the shop—she is pregnant. We cannot buy food; she is afraid to go out, and I cannot go out either…
By what right do they approach my wife?!
They tell me directly: attach a camera and film your fellow residents. I tell them: I have three sons, I cannot do this,” says Roshvan Shakhverdov.