Mother of murdered teacher calls protest over alleged injustice

The mother of a young teacher who was killed has called a protest outside Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office, saying she is fighting what she describes as injustice in the legal process.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Eka Kupatadze, the mother of Giga Avaliani, said the protest would take place on Vakhang Gorgasali Street in Tbilisi at 16:00 local time. She said those responsible for her son’s death must be punished in proportion to their crimes under the law.

Kupatadze said she would not stop until all those involved were held accountable, stressing that while nothing could be proportional to her son’s life, she was referring to proportional punishment as defined by legislation.

She rejected claims that the case was politically motivated, saying the issue was not a struggle between government and opposition but a fight against injustice within the justice system.

Kupatadze also criticised the prosecution, saying she had given authorities more than enough time to act. More than two and a half months had passed, she said, without what she described as effective steps being taken.

In the case of Avaliani’s killing, police initially detained two minors aged 17 and 16 on 26 October. Two additional suspects were arrested on 20 December.