From my perspective, the lawyers were more pitiful than the criminals at today’s court hearing. The judge repeatedly called on them to stop and they did not stop. Several times the judge had to repeat the same call for them to stop. Giorgi Rikadze’s former lawyer [Irakli Sulaberidze’s lawyer] forbade me to speak - we no longer want to hear this, the mother of the deceased teacher Giga Avaliani, Eka Kupatadze, stated after leaving the court hearing, where she gave testimony today in the case of the two accused minors, Irakli Sulaberidze and Demetre Kasradze, in the case of group violence that took place in Didi Dighomi.

According to her, if the lawyers did not want to hear her, then the question arises why they did not recognise Eka Kupatadze’s testimony as undisputed.

“From my perspective, the lawyers were more pitiful than the criminals at today’s court hearing. The judge repeatedly called on them to stop and they did not stop. Several times the judge had to repeat the same call for them to stop. Giorgi Rikadze’s former lawyer forbade me to speak - we no longer want to hear this. Do you know how he finished in the end? So that we are clear, the defence side did not request the bringing of this witness here. If the defence side did not request my being brought there, then why did they not recognise it as undisputed? If they had recognised it as undisputed, would Keti Sonidze have brought me there?! She would not have been able to bring me, would she? When the killers of Giga Avaliani were being tried, when they recognised it as undisputed, Keti Sonidze could not bring me there despite my request, because the law would not allow me to be brought. Now let Sulaberidze’s lawyer hear from me, this is Giorgi Rikadze’s former lawyer, that if they did not want to hear Eka Kupatadze, then why did they not recognise Eka Kupatadze’s testimony as undisputed?!” Eka Kupatadze stated.

According to her, in the courtroom Demetre Kasradze’s father confronted her, as a result of which it became necessary to call the marshals and remove Demetre Kasradze’s father from the place.

“Some tall, fat man stood up and expressed condolences to me. Of course, I accepted the condolences, but I asked him who you are. He told me, I am Sulaberidze’s father. Then let’s distance ourselves, I told him. I don’t know how you will decide, but I have told you mine. At that moment I also thought, I wonder if Demetre Kasradze’s father is here? And I said that I hope Demetre Kasradze’s father will not say the same [express condolences]. Then who is telling you, he lunged at us, lunged at me and Nika and I was forced to call the marshals. The marshals, of course, removed him from there. He confronted me, tell me what this is called, who was telling you [expressing condolences],” Eka Kupatadze stated.

According to her, they are dealing with a very serious group of criminals.

“I cannot even imagine how one can kill a person, whatever the lawsuit may be, whatever reason he may have. For example, I know who killed my son, but I have not taken measures to kill them and I have not thought about their death. They killed a completely innocent person without any lawsuit. The fact itself already makes it clear that we are dealing with a very serious group of criminals. All the criminals were minors at the time of the violence against Giga and even now many are minors, and a minor’s mind is vulnerable. Whatever influence you exert on him, that is how he is formed, and the family can exert the greatest influence. I say with full responsibility that everyone’s family, starting from that respected deputy minister of internal affairs and ending with Demetre Kasradze’s father, is cut from the same mould, only with different manners of walking. Someone has bought an extra suit hanging in the wardrobe, someone less, everyone is cut from the same mould,” Kupatadze stated.

When asked whether it is possible that even more people will be detained, Kupatadze noted that she personally has not said this, but nothing is ruled out.

“I have not said that it is possible that new people will be detained. I said that the investigation is continuing in many directions. Based on the interests of the investigation I will stop here, but nothing is ruled out. The case is continuing and who will turn out to be a figure in this and other cases, no one knows. I am sure that the Prosecutor’s Office will hold everyone accountable,” Eka Kupatadze stated.

For reference, in the Tbilisi City Court, the mother of the deceased teacher Giga Avaliani, Eka Kupatadze, is giving testimony in the case of the two accused minors, Irakli Sulaberidze and Demetre Kasradze, in the case of group violence that took place in Didi Dighomi.

As the prosecutor of the case Keti Sonidze states, one of the accused, Demetre Kasradze, is a friend of Aleksandre Gabashvili, who was convicted in Avaliani’s case. According to the prosecutor, Gabashvili sent him the footage of the violence against Avaliani before Avaliani’s death.