Court sends investigator to detention for putting pressure on minor leading to suicide

Tbilisi City Court has sent female investigator Mariana Choloiani to detention for exerting pressure on Luka Siradze, 15, who died at M. Iashvili Children’s Central Hospital earlier this week.

The crime is punishable by five to nine years in prison.

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Choloiani, who was detained on December 17 for allegedly forcing the minor to admit the crime of damaging the property of a private school in Tbilisi and writing vulgar phrases on its walls, which led to his suicide attempt and eventual death, remains in hospital since then.

The civic movement Sirtskhvilia (Shame) has made inscriptions at various places in Tbilisi in protest of the recent incident with the minor. 

Siradze’s family and lawyer consider that the minor might have been driven to commit suicide after being subjected to psychological pressure at the Didube-Chugureti police station on December 10 and 11. 

Prosecutor’s Office announced earlier today that while questioning Siradze, Choloiani did not follow the Juvenile Justice Code of Georgia and instead forced him to plead guilty.

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The State Inspector's Office has been investigating the case since December 12, looking into giving testimony, evidence or opinion under duress.