The News in Brief
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili Meets With Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Member States
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, held a meeting with the permanent representatives of different countries at the United Nations, as reported by his press office. This meeting took place during the visit of these representatives to Georgia, which was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and is scheduled to take place between April 30 and May 5.
At the meeting held in the government administration, as per the reports of the representatives, the cooperation dynamics between the countries were discussed, and the significance of reinforcing collaboration based on shared interests was underscored.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted that the Georgian government considers the advancement of global partnership as one of its top priorities. The representatives also discussed the progress made by Georgia in implementing effective reforms, and the Prime Minister expressed the willingness to share the country's experience of successful and internationally acclaimed reforms in diverse domains.
Tbilisi City Court Rejects Bail Request for Lazare Grigoriadis, Accused of Throwing Molotov Cocktail and Burning Police Car during March Protests
Lazare Grigoriadis, who is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail and burning a police car during the March protests, was brought to the Tbilisi City Court for a pre-trial session. The trial began with the defense filing a motion to replace Grigoriadis' preventive measure, which is imprisonment, with a bail of 20,000 GEL. According to the defense, there was no risk of Grigoriadis absconding, and he would cooperate fully with the investigation if released on bail.
Grigoriadis, in his statement to the court, reiterated the same argument as his lawyers and said that he had no intention of fleeing from the authorities. He added that he had worn the same clothes during the rally and at the time of his arrest, indicating that he had nothing to hide. "I will say the same thing about hiding. If I wanted to hide, I would hide for a month. Even the clothes I was wearing during the arrest, I wore them at the rally as well," said Grigoriadis.
The prosecution opposed the motion and argued that the preventive measure should be upheld as Grigoriadis posed a flight risk, given the severity of the charges against him. The prosecutor also highlighted that the investigation was still ongoing, and the possibility of influencing witnesses could not be ruled out.
After hearing both sides, Judge Nato Khujadze refused to grant the defense's motion and ruled that Grigoriadis should remain in custody until the trial. The decision was met with disappointment by Grigoriadis and his legal team, who argued that the detention was unjustified and that the defendant was innocent until proven guilty.
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili Meets With Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Member States
At the meeting held in the government administration, as per the reports of the representatives, the cooperation dynamics between the countries were discussed, and the significance of reinforcing collaboration based on shared interests was underscored.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted that the Georgian government considers the advancement of global partnership as one of its top priorities. The representatives also discussed the progress made by Georgia in implementing effective reforms, and the Prime Minister expressed the willingness to share the country's experience of successful and internationally acclaimed reforms in diverse domains.
Tbilisi City Court Rejects Bail Request for Lazare Grigoriadis, Accused of Throwing Molotov Cocktail and Burning Police Car during March Protests
Grigoriadis, in his statement to the court, reiterated the same argument as his lawyers and said that he had no intention of fleeing from the authorities. He added that he had worn the same clothes during the rally and at the time of his arrest, indicating that he had nothing to hide. "I will say the same thing about hiding. If I wanted to hide, I would hide for a month. Even the clothes I was wearing during the arrest, I wore them at the rally as well," said Grigoriadis.
The prosecution opposed the motion and argued that the preventive measure should be upheld as Grigoriadis posed a flight risk, given the severity of the charges against him. The prosecutor also highlighted that the investigation was still ongoing, and the possibility of influencing witnesses could not be ruled out.
After hearing both sides, Judge Nato Khujadze refused to grant the defense's motion and ruled that Grigoriadis should remain in custody until the trial. The decision was met with disappointment by Grigoriadis and his legal team, who argued that the detention was unjustified and that the defendant was innocent until proven guilty.