Three former police employees detained for torture, kidnapping

Three former employees of Georgian Interior Ministry that worked during the United National Movement government have been detained and two others have been charged with torture, kidnapping, illegal detention and abuse of power.

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office says that the former police officials and employees of Samegrelo region in western Georgia kidnapped an individual back in 2011 to force him to tell the location of a wanted man. 

The Prosecutor’s Office says that they ‘severely beat and tortured the man with the use of lit cigarettes.’ 

After the man told them that he did not know the whereabouts of the wanted individual, the former police officials and employees planted him weapons and drugs and threatened him with raping and burning in the fire if he refused to admit to the crime,” said the Prosecutor’s Office. 

The Prosecutor’s Office says that the man had to admit to the crime and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. 

The man was released back in 2013 under the Georgian Dream leadership. 

The European Court of Human Rights confirmed violations against the man in its judgment released last year.