A district court has ordered pretrial detention as a preventive measure for all six police officers detained following the beating of a 29-year-old resident of Gori. The defendants are accused of abuse of official authority involving violence. None of them attended today’s hearing.
The prosecution requested the strictest preventive measure—detention. Prosecutor Nino Zurabishvili stated that there is a risk of the defendants fleeing, destroying evidence, or committing another crime. Defense lawyers opposed the motion for custody.
The preliminary court hearing in the case has been scheduled for July 24.
As a reminder, on May 27, regional media outlet qartli.ge published footage showing several police officers beating Papuna Lotsulashvili in the Kombinat settlement in Gori. Following the incident, the man was detained, but soon left the temporary detention facility and was hospitalized. Lotsulashvili was quickly discharged, but was readmitted to the clinic after fainting twice at home.
Criminal charges have also been brought against the victim. He is being prosecuted under Article 353 (Resistance, threat, or violence against a public order officer or other representative of authority). The man faces house arrest, a fine, or imprisonment for a term of two to six years.
At the same time, criminal cases have also been opened against the six Ministry of Internal Affairs employees. The Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation under Article 333, Part 3, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia. This provision covers abuse of official authority involving violence or weapons and carries a penalty of five to eight years in prison.