In April 2017, the Public Defender of Georgia monitored the violation ofGeorgian citizen’s rights outside the country. In particular, on April 7, the media reported of the beating of a Georgian citizen at the Turkish section of the Sarpi checkpoint, as a result of which, he was hospitalized.

As soon as the mentioned information was released, arepresentative of the Public Defender’s Office visited the Georgian citizen, R.L., who was under police supervision at the hospital in the Turkish city of Hopa, several times.

In the conversation with therepresentative of the Public Defender’s Office, the detainee recalled the incident, during which he was not allowed to cross the border and was beaten by a Turkish customs officer without any reason. The detainee had signs of physical injuries in his face.

The Division of Adjara of thePublic Defender's Office had intensive cooperation with the Georgian Consul in Turkey and representatives of the Consulate in the mentioned case. Initially, the Turkish side was alleging that the drunken Georgian citizen resisted border police officer and physically abused him, after which he was detained. However, R.L. was cleared of charges and was recognized as a victim of alleged physical abuse, after he had been interrogated and video recordings had been checked.

The Public Defender of Georgia thanks the Consulate of Georgia in Turkey for cooperation and quick and effective response, as well as the employees of Turkish police and the Prosecutor’s Office – for the opportunity to meet the detainee and get information from him.