“We saw that it took Tamar Mchedlishvili more time to explain the pre-written text than to go to the deliberation room. This directly indicates that Tamar Mchedlishvili came with a pre-written verdict before the final statement,” said Elguja Avsajanishvili, the lawyer of 19-year-old Saba Jikia, accused of attacking a police officer, to journalists after the judge found Jikia guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and 6 months of imprisonment.

According to the lawyer, he plans to appeal this decision.

“Today’s process was a turning point in determining whether Tamar Mchedlishvili could make a decision independently. We saw that she went to deliberate. I was deliberately observing how much time it took her to read the text, go to the deliberation room, and write the text. We saw that it took Tamar Mchedlishvili more time to explain the pre-written text than to go to the deliberation room. This directly indicates that Tamar Mchedlishvili came with a pre-written verdict before the final statement. This means that judges come to the very first hearing with a predetermined mindset.

Of course, we will appeal this. Everyone must be held accountable for these decisions,” Avsajanishvili stated.

For reference, the Tbilisi City Court found 19-year-old Saba Jikia, accused of attacking a police officer, guilty. By the decision of Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili, Jikia was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months of imprisonment.

As a reminder, Saba Jikia was charged under Article 353, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to an attack on a police officer. Specifically, he was accused of striking an employee of the State Security Service. This charge carries a penalty of 4 to 7 years of imprisonment.