Davit Peikrishvili: My phone was the motive for my torture; it was the prosecutor's responsibility to ensure the phone was sealed; prison and penitentiary officials were also involved in my torture
"My phone was the motive for my torture. It was the prosecutor's responsibility to ensure the phone was sealed," prisoner Davit Peikrishvili stated during a court hearing.
Peikrishvili made this statement when his lawyer filed a motion for the recusal of the prosecutor.
According to Peikrishvili, Avtandil Bilanishvili (also known as "Katsro"), Vato Kipiani, and Shota Kipiani were allowed into his cell to unlock his phones. The accused claims that after entering the cell, they called Gicho Margvelashvili, who—via a video link—showed Davit Peikrishvili his personal phone and demanded the password for it.
"Gicho was showing me some phones. By that point, I had already been beaten and tortured. I told them that if the police wanted to, they could unlock them. They replied, 'No, we want to—we have to prove that you’re right,' pretending to be on my side.
From the moment they [Avtandil Bilanishvili, alias 'Katsro', Vato Kipiani, and Shota Kipiani] arrived, they were brought into my cell. They didn't even go through the quarantine process.
The prosecutor bears responsibility here. Prison and penitentiary officials were involved in my torture.
They were brought in on Friday so that I wouldn't be able to reach anyone until Monday.
Afterward, I was taken to the 'Vivamedi' clinic, and then brought back. When I was being transported, Gotsiridze and Shota Kipiani—along with prison staff—accompanied me to ensure I didn't say anything to anyone. I was kept in isolation. My only chance was to hold out until Monday, when my lawyer could come in.
Before that, however, a lawyer—someone I had been friends with for 11 years and whose child I had baptized—came to see me and said he could no longer serve as my lawyer. Trust in this prosecutor is zero," stated Davit Peikrishvili.
As for the motion to recuse the prosecutor, the judge did not grant it.
