Public Defender to release detailed assessment of Nika Gvaramia's case
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, November 3, 2022
The Public Defender expressed 'extreme concern' regarding the verdict rendered by the Tbilisi Court of Appeal against Nika Gvaramia as said in the statement made by the Public Defender.
As the ombudsman notes, the Office of the Public Defender has already applied to the Tbilisi Court of Appeal and demanded a verdict.
According to the statement, upon receiving the reasoned verdict, the public defender will additionally present a detailed assessment of the case to the public.
"We remind the public that back in 2019, the Public Defender, Regarding the so-called advertisement episode, applied to the Tbilisi City Court. According to the Public Defender's assessment, it was inadmissible to convict Nika Gvaramia for his managerial decision-making (the so-called advertisement episode), which could theoretically become the subject of a civil legal dispute, but not the basis for criminal prosecution against a person.
Unfortunately, the court of the first instance found Nika Gvaramia guilty and did not take into account the fundamental principles of separation of civil and criminal liability.
The appellate court, instead of correctly evaluating the mentioned legal issues, made an even more severe decision and used imprisonment as a punishment for Nika Gvaramia for the action, which is civil in its content and the evidence of which cannot be considered criminal in the criminal case.
In addition, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the first instance of the so-called regarding the conviction of Nika Gvaramia in the car episode. According to the public defender, the verdict of the first instance court was problematic in this episode as well.
The Office of the Public Defender has already appealed to the Tbilisi Court of Appeal and demanded a verdict. Upon receiving the reasoned verdict, the public defender will additionally present a detailed assessment of the case to the public.
The Public Defender reminds the public that on June 8, 2022, he appealed to the President of Georgia and, taking into account the essential flaws in justice, he called on Nika Gvaramia to use the power of pardon in response to the violated rights," Public Defender's statement reads.
