Prepared by Messenger Staff
Tbilisi City Court Judge Remands 11 Protesters on Charges of Group Violence
Tbilisi City Court Judge Irakli Shvangiradze has remanded 11 individuals arrested in connection with organizing and participating in group violence during recent protests. The defendants include Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Guram Mirtskhulava, Jano Archaia, Luka Jabua, Ruslan Sivakov, Revaz Kiknadze, Giorgi Terashvili, Valeri Tetrashvili, Sergey Kukharchuk, and Irakli Kerashvili.
The prosecutor's office sought their remand, citing concerns about potential flight risks, the possibility of further criminal activity, and the destruction of evidence.
The defense team for the accused contested the remand, arguing that the prosecution's claims were unfounded and lacked substantial evidence. They characterized the prosecution's arguments as generic and unsupported by the facts of the case.
Giorgi Bachiashvili Secretly Crosses Border into Armenia, Faces Legal Charges
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed that Giorgi Bachiashvili, the former head of co-Investment Fund, illegally crossed the border into Armenia on March 2. According to the Ministry, Bachiashvili bypassed the border checkpoint, using a concealed hiding place in a car to evade detection.
The Ministry stated that the investigation is ongoing under Part 1 of Article 344 of the Criminal Code, which deals with the illegal crossing of Georgia's state border.
Upon reaching Armenia, Bachiashvili reportedly presented a Russian Federation passport at the Armenian border checkpoint, confirming his Russian citizenship. This document allowed him to successfully cross the border into Armenia.
Bachiashvili has now been charged with a third offense, related to the illegal border crossing. The prosecutor's office has requested that Bachiashvili be sentenced to imprisonment as a preventive measure.
