VASHAKIDZE AND GOGBERASHVILI v. GEORGIA

THIRD SECTIONApplication no. 25120/07Giorgi VASHAKIDZE and Eldar GOGBERASHVILIagainst Georgialodged on 19 April 2007STATEMENT OF FACTS 1.  The applicants, Mr Giorgi Vashakidze (“the first applicant”) and Mr Eldar Gogberashvili (“the second applicant”), are Georgian nationals, who were born in 1967 and 1970 respectively and are currently in prison. They are represented before the Court by Ms M. Tvauri, a lawyer practising in Tbilisi.The circumstances of the case2.  The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicants, may be summarised as follows.3.  On 5 December 2003 a renowned businessmen in Tbilisi T.M. was kidnapped. His family subsequently received telephone calls from the kidnappers demanding a ransom.4.  On 10 January 2004 the applicants and a friend of theirs B.S. were arrested in connection with T.M.’s kidnapping. According to the applicants, immediately after the arrest they w …