The verdict in the case of doctor Giorgi Akhobadze, who is accused of a drug-related crime, will be announced today, August 6. The hearing is scheduled for 16:00 at Tbilisi City Court.

Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili, who was supposed to deliver the verdict on July 25, unexpectedly postponed the session.

After a week of deliberation, Tkeshelashvili will announce the verdict tomorrow.

At the previous hearing, the defendant, Giorgi Akhobadze, gave his final statement.

According to him and his defense team, Akhobadze did not possess any drugs and the substances were planted by law enforcement. They also claimed that a saliva sample taken from his mouth was transferred onto the drugs.

"The search wasn’t recorded, and now they’re trying to prove that [the drugs] belonged to me... If you touch an object, it should carry traces of your DNA — the trace was falsified. If the drugs were really mine, there would be my fingerprints on them, which would be objective evidence.

The investigation didn’t conduct a drug test on me because they knew I wasn’t a drug user and their report would fall apart," said the defendant in his final remarks.

For context, Dr. Giorgi Akhobadze was arrested on December 7 while returning home from a protest rally held on Rustaveli Avenue.

He was charged under Article 260, Part 6 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to the illegal acquisition and possession of large quantities of narcotic substances.

This offense carries a sentence of 8 to 20 years, or life imprisonment.