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The Human Rights Center monitors judicial proceedings of 27 cases with alleged political motives

21.04.2023
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The HRC is monitoring cases with alleged political motives in the general courts of Georgia within the framework of the project “Legal Aid and Human Rights Monitoring”.  Within the scope of the project, the HRC Court Monitors are currently looking into 27 cases, some of which are being heard in the court of first instance, while others are appealed to courts of higher instance, and several cases have been completed recently. 
  1. Case of deferral of Mikheil Saakashvili's sentence. On February 6, 2023, the Tbilisi City Court finalized hearings regarding the motion by defense counsels of the third President of Georgia - Mikheil Saakashvili, seeking to exempt him from the sentence or, alternatively, to suspend his sentence due to the deterioration of his health. The ruling was announced on February 6, 2023; the judge hearing the case rejected the motion of the defense. Judge Giorgi Arevadze, within the Criminal Panel of the Tbilisi City Court, was hearing the case. Within the timeframe set forth by the procedural law, the ruling of the first instance court was appealed to the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. On March 2, 2023, Judge Ekaterine Kululashvili within the Chamber of Criminal Matters of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals upheld the ruling of the court of the first instance without an oral hearing.
  2. Case of Jelal Kiqava. The prosecution charges Jelal Kiqava, a supporter of the ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, with committing a crime under Article 366(1)(2) of the Criminal Code - contempt of court, manifested in the insult of a participant in the legal proceedings, or of a judge. Jelal Kiqava is a member of the Adjara regional organization of the National Movement. On March 28, 2022, Jelal Kiqava was sent from the courtroom and imposed a fine of GEL 500, since he had an argument with prosecutors during the hearing of the criminal case against Mikheil Saakashvili. After one month, the Prosecutor's Office decided to initiate a criminal prosecution against Jelal Kiqava for being in contempt of court. Judge Konstantine Kopaliani hears the case. The hearings are coming to an end.
  3. Case of Iveri Melashvili and Natalia Ilychova (Cartographers’ case) - Iveri Melashvili, the former Director of the Bordering Relations Service of the Department for Neighboring Countries within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Natalia Ilychova, former Chief Inspector of the Land Border Guard Department of the Border Police under the Ministry of Interior were charged by the Prosecutor’s Office under Article 308(1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, criminalizing the acts aiming to transfer the entire territory or part of Georgia to a foreign country and/or separate a certain part of the Georgian territory. Iveri Melashvili and Natalia Ilychova were arrested on October 7, 2020, one month before the parliamentary elections. On January 28, 2021, following the motion by the prosecution, presiding Judge Lela Kalichenko replaced the measure of restraint with a remand on bail of GEL 20,000 each. Further, the Court granted the motion of the prosecution to dismiss Iveri Melashvili from his job. In order to collect the amount of the bail, the civil movement “Shame” spread information on the social network. As a result, within a couple of hours, many citizens joined the campaign to assist in the release of the accused persons, collecting the full amount of the bail - GEL 40,000. The defendants were remanded in custody from October 8, 2020, till January 28, 2021. The hearings on merits are being carried on in Tbilisi City Court. The prosecution is examining former members of the Delimitation and Demarcation State Commission.
  4. Case of Besik Tamliani, Emzar Siukaev, Kakhaber Keshikashvili, Stepane Gikoshvili and Lasha Samkharadze. The accused were detained on November 29, 2021, at a rally in support of Mikheil Saakashvili in front of the Tbilisi City Court premises. Besik Tamliani, Lasha Samkharadze, and Emzar Siukaev were charged with an offense under Article 353(1) of the Criminal Code, while Kakhaber Keshikashvili and Stepane Gikoshvili faced charges under Article 3531(1). Hearings on the merits are being carried out in the Tbilisi City Court. Witnesses of the defense who participated in the rally of 29 November 2021 are being examined. Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze hears the case.
  5. Case of Mikheil Saakashvili and Teimuraz Janashia.Ex-President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili and former Chief of the State Protection Service, Teimuraz Janashia, were charged under Article 182 (3)(b) of the Criminal Code envisaging the misappropriation or embezzlement of budgetary funds in large amounts (GEL 8,837,461) by a group, with a prior agreement. The criminal case is heard on the merits by Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili in the Tbilisi City Court. The hearing of the case is at the stage of examination of the evidence of the prosecution. During a year, the hearing of the criminal case was postponed several times, taking into consideration the aggravation of Mikheil Saakashvili's health condition.
  6. Case of Mikheil Saakashvili, Ivane Merabishvili, Davit Kezerashvili, and Gigi Ugulava.The Tbilisi City Court is hearing the case against Mikheil Saakashvili and former high-ranking officials, regarding charges of the dispersal of the protesters en masse on November 7, 2007, intrusion in the premises of, and “taking control over” the TV company “Imedi”, as well as expropriation of the Mtatsminda Park and Rustavi Metallurgical Plant owned by the Patarkatsishvili family. Due to the complexity of the matter, the case is being heard by a panel of judges in the Tbilisi City Court, with Judge Nino Eleishvili presiding. The hearing of the case is at the stage of examination of the evidence of the prosecution. Throughout the year, the hearings were postponed several times due to the deterioration of Mikheil Saakashvili's health.
  7. Case of Mikheil Saakashvili regarding the illegal border crossing. The Prosecutor’s Office charged the third President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, with the illegal crossing of the state border of Georgia under Article 344(1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia. According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation established that on September 28, 2021, a ship named “Vilnius” departing from the Port of Chernomorsk, Ukraine, reached the Poti Port. On September 29, a SCANIA trailer truck owned by the IKA TRANS LLC loaded with dairy products debarked from the said ship. Mikheil Saakashvili was in the trailer and managed to illegally cross the state border of Georgia bypassing the state control with the assistance of Elguja Tsomaia.  The case is being heard in the Tbilisi City Court. Up to the date, the evidence of the parties has been examined in full. While the defendant seeks to give testimony before the court, this has not been made possible due to his health condition. From the end of April 2022, court hearings were systematically scheduled once a week, however, at the beginning of December 2022, the judge took a leave, and the date of the next hearing is unknown thereafter.
The so-called border crossing case is the fifth criminal case against Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia. For two other cases, he has been sentenced to imprisonment and is serving the sentence. Based on the results of monitoring of the court hearings of criminal cases against Mikheil Saakashvili, the HRC published two analytical documents: 1) The Prisoners’ Right to Healthcare: The Analysis of Court Proceedings Conducted against Mikheil Saakashvili and that of the Accompanying Events, 2022 2) Assessment of the Right to be Tried within a Reasonable Time in the Ongoing Cases against Mikheil Saakashvili, 2021.  
  1. Case of Elguja Tsomaia, Giorgi Narimanidze, Zurab and Shalva Tsotsoria. Following the return of Mikheil Saakashvili from Ukraine to Georgia, Elguja Tsomaia, Giorgi Narimanidze, Zurab Tsotsoria, and his son Shalva Tsotsoria were arrested on charges of concealment of crime. The prosecution argues that on September 29, 2021, after the illegal crossing of the border by Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab and Shalva Tsotsorias drove Saakashvili in their car to the locale of the crime - one of the villages in Samegrelo. On October 5, 2021, following the motion by the prosecution, Judge Giorgi Gelashvili of the Tbilisi City Court remanded both Tsotsorias, - the father and the son, in custody as a measure of restraint. Both of them are charged under Article 375(2) of the Criminal Code, criminalizing the concealment of a serious crime without a prior promise. Tsomaia is also charged with assisting in the illegal crossing of the border. On January 20, 2022, the measure of restraint was changed for all four defendants, and they were remanded on bail. The hearings on the merits of the case before the Tbilisi City Court began on December 19, 2022, without any hearings being scheduled thereafter. Judge Valerian Bugianishvili hears the case.
  2. Case of Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze and Avtandil Tsereteli. The former Chairman of the Supervisory Council of TBC Bank, Mamuka Khazaradze, and his deputy, Badri Japaridze (at the time being the leaders of the political organization Lelo for Georgia) are charged under Article 194(2)(a) and (3)(c) of the Criminal Code, envisaging the legalization of illicit incomes in large amounts carried out by a group of persons. Meanwhile, the charges were brought against the father of the owner of the TV company TV Pirveli, Avtandil Tsereteli, for aiding in the legalization of illicit income (Article 25 and Article 194(2)(a) and (3)(c) of the Criminal Code). On January 12, 2022, the Tbilisi City Court rendered the judgment on the case of Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, and Avtandil Tsereteli. In particular, the Court requalified the charges brought against Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze from the legalization of illicit income (money laundering) to fraud, while the charges against Avtandil Tsereteli were changed from participation in money laundering to participation in fraud. However, in the judgment announced on January 12, Judge Giorgi Arevadze found Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze guilty of the offenses under Article 180(2)(a) (fraud committed by more than one person with a preliminary agreement) and 180(3)(b) (fraud committed in large quantities) of the Criminal Code, sentencing each of them to 7 years of imprisonment. Further, according to the judgment, Khazaradze and Japaridze were released from prison due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The hearings of the case in the Tbilisi Court of Appeals were also completed. The case was heard by the Chamber of Criminal Matters, with Judge Merab Jorbenadze presiding. On January 20, 2023, the Chamber was adjourned for deliberations and declared the sentence on January 26. The Court of Appeals found Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, and Avtandil Tsereteli guilty of fraud committed by a group of persons, upholding thus the judgment of the City Court.
  3. Case of Akaki Khuskivadze and Akaki Kobaladze. The HRC is monitoring the ongoing court proceedings of the criminal case against Akaki Khuskivadze and Akaki Kobaladze.  The accused are charged with the commission of criminal acts under Article 339(1), Article 150(2)(b), and Article 151(2)(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, envisaging, respectively, the following offenses: directly offering money to a public official for his/her benefit, in order that he/she take a certain action during the exercise of his/her official rights and performance of duties for the benefit of the briber or another person; further, - a threat of damaging health, when the person threatened began to have a reasonable sensation of fear that the threat will be carried out, - committed by a group of persons; illegal restriction of a person’s freedom to act, coercing him/her mentally to perform an action, abstaining from which is his/her right, - committed by a group of persons. Moreover, Akaki Kobaladze is accused of the illegal purchase and storage of ammunition, - an offense provided for by Article 236(3) of the Criminal Code of Georgia. On December 10, 2020, the Tbilisi City Court ordered the release of the detainees on bail in the amount of GEL 10,000. The hearing of the case is at the stage of examination of the evidence of the defense. The case was heard on the merits by Judge Giorgi Keratishvili of the Tbilisi City Court; however, Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze took over the case, as Judge Keratishvili was appointed as a judge at the Court of Appeals. Currently, the hearings are at the final stage. The defendant Akaki Kobaladze gave testimony before the Court. At the next hearing, Akaki Khuskivadze will be examined, followed by the closing arguments by the parties.
  4. Case of Nikanor Melia. Former MP Nikanor Melia has been charged under Article 225(1)(2) of the Criminal Code of Georgia envisaging the organization of, or participation in group violence. The ongoing case pending before the Tbilisi City Court is linked to the events of June 20-21, 2019. On February 17, 2021, the Court granted in full the motion of the Prosecutor General of Georgia, Irakli Shotadze, to replace the measure of restraint used against the accused with remand in custody. On May 10, 2021, the Court also granted the motion of the prosecution to change the said measure of restraint to a less severe one. In particular, remand in custody as a measure of restraint imposed on Nikanor Melia was replaced with a bail of GEL 40,000. To this end, the necessary funds were allocated by the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) under an agreement between the opposition and the government. The hearing on the merits of the criminal case is going on in the Tbilisi City Court, with Judge Nino Chakhnashvili presiding.
The HRC reviewed the ongoing criminal case against Nikanor Melia in the document - Legal Analysis of Criminal Cases related to the Events of June 20-21, 2019.
  1. Case of Giorgi Ugulava and Aleksandre Gogokhia. The criminal case launched against Giorgi Ugulava - the former Mayor of Tbilisi, is at the stage of hearing on the merits in the Tbilisi City Court. The prosecution accuses the defendants of the commission of offenses under Article 194 and Article 362 of the Criminal Code, envisaging, respectively, the legalization of illicit income (money laundering), and making, sale or use of a forged document, seal, stamp or letterhead. Moreover, in the same case, the state prosecution charged Ugulava with the abuse of official powers in the episode of “City Park” as well as the organization of group activity and coercion with respect to the so-called Marneuli episode. The case is being heard in the Tbilisi City Court by Judge Valerian Bugianashvili.
The HRC reviewed the case of Giorgi Ugulava and Aleksandre Gogokhia in the document - Legal Assessments of the Ongoing Criminal Cases against Giorgi Ugulava.
  1. Case of Irakli Okruashvili.The Leader of the party Victorious Georgia, Irakli Okruashvili was accused under Article 225 of the Criminal Code in relation to the events of June 20-21, 2019, envisaging the organization of group violence or participation therein. Following the judgment of April 13, 2000, Okruashvili was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment as he was found guilty of participation in the said offense. Based on the Act or Pardon of the President, like Giorgi Ugulava, Okruashvili also left the penitentiary facility on May 15, 2020. Notwithstanding the pardon, Okruashvili appealed the judgment to the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. Judge Vepkhvia Lomidze upheld the judgment of the court of first instance. The latter judgment was appealed by Irakli Okruashvili to the Supreme Court in cassation. In the ruling of November 1, 2022, the Supreme Court found the cassation appeal inadmissible, upholding thus the judgment of the Court of Appeals.
  2. Case of Irakli Okruashvili and Zurab Adeishvili, i. e. the case of Buta Robakidze. Irakli Okruashvili and Zurab Adeishvili are charged under article 332(3)(c) of the Criminal Code, envisaging the abuse of power by a state political official. The case concerns the incident that took place near the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi on November 24, 2004, when the police patrol stopped a car of BMW brand with a driver and five passengers in the car. After stopping the vehicle, during the personal searches, one of the patrol officers, Grigol Bashaleishvili, accidentally triggered the weapon and shot Amiran (Buta) Robakidze in the left armpit, heavily wounding him and causing his death at the scene. The same night, per the prosecution’s decision, this information was reported to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Irakli Okruashvili, who instructed the high-ranking officials arriving at the scene to “save the reputation of the patrol police” and to give the incident the appearance of the assault on the police officers by an armed group. Further, according to the prosecution’s decision, per instructions of the then Prosecutor General of Georgia, Zurab Adeishvili, the investigation was legally flawed, insofar as falsified evidence was procedurally validated, and the versions of high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Interior were reaffirmed. On November 19, 2019, while he was in prison, charges were brought against Irakli Okruashvili for the aforesaid offense several days prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations, which, in this case, is 15 years. The hearing of the case is at the stage of examination of the evidence of the prosecution. The prosecutor of the case was examined with regard to the facts that occurred on November 24, 2004. Since November 2022, the case is being heard anew by Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze in the Tbilisi City Court. The sessions are scheduled with a periodicity of 3 times a week.
The HRC provided an overview of legal issues related to the case in its analytical document - Legal Assessment of Ongoing Criminal Cases against Irakli Okruashvili.
  1. Case of Koba Koshadze. The member of the guard of Irakli Okruashvili, - the leader of the party Victorious Georgia, was charged with the illegal purchase, storage, and carriage of firearms and ammunition under Article 236 of the Criminal Code. After the Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion to change the measure of restraint, the Court revoked the measure of restraint in the form of custody and remanded the accused on bail of GEL 5,000 instead. Koba Koshadze was released from the courtroom. Judge Giorgi Arevadze hears the case. No court hearings have been scheduled after 2022.
The HRC provided an overview of the ongoing criminal case against Koba Koshadze in the document - Legal Assessment of the Ongoing Criminal Cases against Irakli Okruashvili. A number of legal problems have been identified in this case.
  1. Case of Giorgi Mumladze.Giorgi Mumladze, a civil activist, is accused of committing a criminal offense under Article 353 (1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, i.e. resistance to a police officer, an employee of the Special Penitentiary Service, or other representatives of authority, using violence or threat of violence, with the purpose of interfering with the protection of public order, terminating or changing his/her activity, and coercing him/her into committing a manifestly unlawful act. The case is still at the stage of examination of the evidence of the prosecution. The case is being heard in the Tbilisi City Court, by Judge Zviad Sharadze.
  2. Case of Giorgi Rurua. Giorgi Rurua, one of the founders and shareholders of the TV company “Mtavari Arkhi”, and one of the organizers of the protest demonstrations of June 20-21, 2019, is charged under Article 236 (3) (4) of the Criminal Code (illegal purchase, storage and carriage of firearms); he was also charged under Article 381 (1) of the Criminal Code, implying the failure to execute a court decision or interference with the execution of a court decision. On July 30, 2020, the judge of the Criminal Panel of the Tbilisi City Court, Valerian Bugianishvili, rendered a judgment of conviction against Rurua, sentencing him to 4 years of imprisonment. The Court found Giorgi Rurua guilty of both charges. Following the Act of Pardon of the President of Georgia, on April 27, 2021, the convict was released from the penitentiary facility. The President made the said decision after the Agreement of April 19, 2021 (a so-called Charles Michel Document) was signed by opposition parties, according to which a legal mechanism for releasing Giorgi Rurua should have been invoked. Despite the pardon, Giorgi Rurua challenged the judgment of the City Court before the court of higher instance. The case is currently being heard by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
During the monitoring, HRC published an analytical document - Criminal case of Giorgi Rurua - Legal Analysis.
  1. Case of Kakha Kukava. On October 7, 2022, the Tbilisi City Court finalized the hearings of the case regarding an administrative offense against the leader of the party “Free Georgia” Kakha Kukava, as well as Arsen Nadiradze and Mikheil Sakandelidze. The defendants were accused by the National Bureau of Enforcement under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia of committing the offense under Article 173(1) of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia (non-compliance with the lawful order or demand of the police officer, or verbal abuse of and/or any other abusive act against him/her while he/she is in the line of duty). Judge Nino Shcherbakov within the Chamber of Administrative Matters of the Tbilisi City Court agreed with the arguments of the administrative body, thus fining Kakha Kukava and Mikheil Sakandelidze with GEL 2200 each, and fining Arsen Nadiradze with GEL 2000.
  2. Case of Kakha Kaladze v. Journalist Maia Mamulashvili and TV "Pirveli". Hearings on the merits of the civil claim lodged by the Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze are finalized in the Tbilisi City Court. On November 30, 2022, Judge Zaal Maruashvili announced the operative part of the judgment, according to which the Court granted in part Kakha Kaladze’s claim, and journalist Maia Mamulashvili and TV Pirveli were imposed to pay GEL 15 000 in moral damages collectively. The Court ordered Maia Mamulashvili to denounce the false statements in the same manner and through the same means as the information was disseminated. The journalist accused the Mayor of Tbilisi of participating in corruption deals, claiming that Kaladze received GEL 60 million from the tenders. Kakha Kaladze demanded that the statements against him be denounced, and that GEL 100 000 be imposed on the respondents.
  3. Case of GMI Rights Management v. Labor Party. Hearings on the civil suit - GMI Rights Management v. the Labor Party are completed in the Tbilisi City Court. The subject of the dispute was copyright infringement, namely - the public reading of Murman Lebanidze's verse “I am afraid” by Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of the Labor Party, and its unauthorized use in the election clip. On behalf of the Copyright Union, GMI Rights Management claimed EUR 50 000 in damages, to be paid by the Labor Party. Judge Gocha Didava within the Panel for Civil Matters of the Tbilisi City Court rejected the claim in the judgment of April 11, 2023.
  4. Case of Levan Khabeishvili. The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia brought allegations against the Member of Parliament of Georgia, Levan Khabeishvili (Electoral Bloc: United National Movement United Opposition "Strength in Unity") for the offense under Article 126 (1) (violence) of the Criminal Code. According to the case files, on January 24, 2020, Levan Khabeishvili physically assaulted Irakli Zarkua, the then Deputy Chairperson of the Tbilisi City Council in the corridor of the premises of the City Council. The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia filed a motion with the Tbilisi City Court, seeking to remand Levan Khabeishvili on bail of GEL 3,000. The motion was granted in part and the accused was remanded on bail of GEL 2,000. At this stage, the case is being heard on the merits in the Tbilisi City Court. Judge Nino Nachkebia hears the case. Levan Khabeishvili and his lawyer state that the case is politically motivated and aims to suspend Khabeishvili’s parliamentary activities (if the charges are proven, his powers as an MP will be terminated).
The HRC reviewed the criminal case against Levan Khabeishvili in the document - Trends of Terminating the Powers of Opposition MPs Following the Judgments with Alleged Political Motives.
  1. Case of Davit Kezerashvili. The Court of Appeals finalized the hearings of the appeal by former Defense Minister of Georgia Davit Kezerashvili and Head of the Procurements Department of the said Ministry - Alexandre Ninua. In March 2022, the Tbilisi City Court awarded damages in the amount of EUR 5 060 000 to be paid by both respondents collectively in favor of the Ministry of Defense. In the judgment of March 21, 2023, the Court of Appeals granted Alexandre Ninua’s appeal. He was released from the obligation to pay the damages, whereas Davit Kezerashvili was ordered to pay the total amount of EUR 5 060 000 (equivalent in GEL) in favor of the Ministry of Defense. The case was heard by the Panel of Civil Matters, comprised of Judges: Otar Sichinava, Gocha Jeiranashvili, and Lasha Tavartkiladze.
  2. Case of Megis Kardava. The Tbilisi City Court hears the criminal case of Megis Kardava, - a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Interior and Military Police. The Prosecutor’s Office charged him with having tortured three prisoners in Penitentiary Facility N8 in 2011.  Megis Kardava has been charged under Article 1441 (2) of the Criminal Code i. e., torture envisaging imprisonment from 9 to 15 years as a sanction. The case is being heard on the merits, and the evidence is being examined. The defendant stated that the case against him is politically motivated, and he refuses to participate in the court hearings. Judge Davit Mgeliashvili hears the case.
  3. Case of Zviad Kuprava. Zviad Kuprava, a member of the Tbilisi City Council and the political party United National Movement, is accused of crimes envisaged by Article 126 (violence) of the Criminal Code. According to the bill of indictment issued by the Prosecutor’s Office, on October 31, 2020, during the parliamentary elections, Zviad Kuprava assaulted a person, thereby inflicting bodily injuries and physical pain upon him. At the time being, the case is being heard by Judge Gizo Ubilava in the Panel of Criminal Matters within the Tbilisi City Court.
  4. Case of Zurab Girchi Japaridze and Nika Mosiashvili. Zurab Girchi Japaridze, - the leader of Girchi - More Freedom, and Nika Mosiashvili - a member of the same party were detained administratively at the rally held in front of the Parliament on March 7, 2023. Both persons are charged under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Article 173 (disobedience to the lawful demand of the police officer) of the Administrative Offenses Code of Georgia. After the expiration of the 48-hour limit of administrative detention, the judge hearing the case ordered their release. Given their health conditions, none of the said persons held administratively liable attended the hearing conducted on March 10. Zurab Japaridze was COVID-19 positive, while Nika Mosiashvili was undergoing treatment in a healthcare facility for a brain concussion that he suffered due to injuries received during the detention. The defense counsels requested to enclose uninterrupted video recordings from the scene to the case files as evidence, and to have the hearing adjourned due to the health condition of the persons held administratively liable; the said motion was granted by the Judge. The case is being heard by Judge Irakli Chikashua within the Panel of Administrative Matters of the Tbilisi City Court.
  5. Case of Giorgi Mumladze. On March 8, 2023, another activist - Giorgi Mumladze was administratively detained at the rally held in front of the Parliament. He is charged under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Article 173 (disobedience to the lawful demand of the police officer) of the Administrative Offenses Code. After the initial appearance before the Court, the judge ordered the release of Mumladze from administrative detention due to the expiration of the 48-hour time limit for such detention. During the hearing held on April 10, 2023, an examination of evidence was completed. The parties to the proceedings presented their arguments, closing arguments, and rebuttals.  According to the existing schedule, the judgment shall be announced on April 26, 2023. The case is being heard by Judge Manuchar Tsatsua within the Panel of Administrative Matters of the Tbilisi City Court.
  6. Case of Nadim Khmaladze. Civil activist Nadim Khmaladze was detained on March 8, 2023, near Freedom Square in Tbilisi. The Ministry of Interior brought charges against Khmaladze for the actions under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Article 173 (disobedience to the lawful demand of the police) of the Administrative Offenses Code, allegedly committed on 7 March, during the rally. The case is being heard by Judge Nino Enukidze within the Panel of Administrative Matters of the Tbilisi City Court.
The HRC monitors court proceedings on cases with alleged political motives since February 2020. In the years 2020-23, 51 cases have been monitored. Monitoring results and important findings are published in reports and analytical documents, available on the HRC website – www.hrc.ge - under the Reports and Research section.  The document was prepared with the financial support of the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The opinions expressed in the Analytical Document are of HRC and do not necessarily represent those of the donor. Therefore, NED is not responsible for the content of the text laid here.  
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