“In today’s reality, it is unacceptable for women to be held captive the way I was,” Sopio Sigua-Shatberava, the former wife of a former high-ranking police official and former head of the Main Division for Combating Organized Crime of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said.

She claims that Ioseb Sigua is being protected by influential individuals and that his electronic monitoring bracelet should not be removed.

“He has protection from behind the scenes, but the truth today is that the court took my safety into account. This is very important to me. Removing this [bracelet] in the future would encourage serious crime - not only in my case. This is not just about me; many women are watching this reality now. Do you know what it would mean? If they remove this bracelet now, it would mean that every woman, just as I remained silent for 13 years, should also remain silent and wait until she is killed. In today’s reality, it is unacceptable for women to be held captive the way I was.

“For now, we still have another court hearing ahead. He keeps appealing and appealing. Apparently, he really likes these proceedings. His appeals against me and my mother do not stop. I hope that high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not the only ones who can determine how these problems are handled. We have higher levels as well, and the approach toward women and violence in general must be a loyal and appropriate one,” Sopio Sigua-Shatberava said.

She explained that her minor children had been questioned and had spoken about very serious crimes.

“There are witnesses. My two minor children were questioned. The children were questioned in detail, without me. They described details that I had not even mentioned. The crimes described by the minors are so serious that it is shocking. All of this is with the Prosecutor’s Office, and there is also a recording.

“He tried to make an issue of whether I was addicted to alcohol or drugs, saying, ‘How can it be that I don't even have a single fine?’ How could he have a fine when I called the patrol police four times, and on the first call he himself contacted my lawyer and told him to cancel the call? I called 112 again and said, ‘How does the abuser know that I called you?’ In this reality, how could he have a fine? They are fighting with evidence and arguments pulled out of thin air,” Sopio Sigua-Shatberava said.

According to her, Ioseb Sigua is attempting to influence witnesses.

“I don't know how long this cascade of false witnesses will continue. It turns out that a machine of lies is operating, but there is one truth. I am very grateful that the judges see this truth. The calls to 112 also confirm this truth - how he took my phone away during one of the calls, how he abused me; you can hear him speaking in the background. All of this is evidence and is with the Prosecutor’s Office,” Sopio Sigua-Shatberava said.

It should be recalled that Ioseb Sigua’s wife, Sopio Sigua-Shatberava, said on the “Nodar Meladze’s Saturday” program that Ioseb Sigua had threatened to kill her, throw her from the 12th floor, put her in a barrel and bury her. The former high-ranking police official currently has an electronic monitoring bracelet.