The Tbilisi City Court found former Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Okruashvili guilty in the case of the death of Amiran (Buta) Robakidze, for abuse of official powers resulting in the violation of the victim’s personal dignity, while former Prosecutor General Zurab Adeishvili, also accused in the same case, was acquitted. The Prosecutor’s Office plans to appeal the acquittal, according to a statement released by the Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Okruashvili to 7 years in prison, which was later reduced to 5 years and 3 months under an amnesty.

“Based on the evidence examined during the trial, it was established that on November 24, 2004, late at night, around 2:00 a.m., a BMW with a driver and five passengers was stopped by patrol police near the Didube Pantheon area on Akaki Tsereteli Avenue in Tbilisi. During the stop and personal search, patrol inspector Grigol Basheleishvili accidentally discharged his service weapon, critically injuring passenger Amiran (Buta) Robakidze, who subsequently died at the scene.That same night, then-Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Okruashvili received information about the incident and ordered senior Interior Ministry officials on site to cover up the image of the patrol police, portraying the incident as an attack by an armed group on the police. Following Okruashvili’s instructions, the officials at the scene planted firearms and ammunition on Robakidze and the other passengers. Subsequently, under instructions from then-Prosecutor General Zurab Adeishvili, the investigation was conducted in a legally incorrect manner, including procedural manipulation and corroboration of the version created by senior Interior Ministry officials.As a result, the occupants of the vehicle were wrongfully held criminally responsible, and the deceased Amiran (Buta) Robakidze was labeled a member of a criminal group. These actions caused substantial violation of the individual’s rights, infringement on the state’s legal interests, and damage to the victim’s personal dignity.”

Okruashvili and Adeishvili were charged under Article 332, Paragraph 3, Subparagraph “g” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (abuse of official powers by a state political official, committed in a way that violates the victim’s personal dignity).

“The Tbilisi City Court found Irakli Okruashvili guilty of the charges and sentenced him to 7 years in prison. Based on amnesty provisions, the sentence was reduced, and the final punishment is 5 years and 3 months,” the statement concluded.