Judge upholds pretrial detention for 12 defendants charged in connection with October 4 events
Tbilisi City Court has upheld pretrial detention for 12 individuals arrested in connection with the events of October 4 near the Atoneli Palace.
With this decision, Judge Meia Melkadze granted the prosecution's motion.
The prosecution requested that pretrial detention remain in force, naming the risks of flight and the possibility of committing a new crime as justification.
The defense disagreed with the prosecution’s position and argued that there is no relevant evidence in the case to prove the alleged crime. According to defense lawyers, there is no proof establishing the defendants’ connection to each other, any agreement between them, or coordinated group actions. The defense petitioned the court to replace the strict preventive measure of pretrial detention with a more lenient one — bail. For some defendants, the proposed bail amount was 5,000 GEL, while other defense lawyers left the bail amount to be determined by the court.
The lawyers representing Temur Kurtsikidze and Giorgi Mumlaze proposed bail of 15,000 GEL each.
Background of charges: Beka Kelekhsashvili, Mamuka Labuchidze, Guriela Kardava, Vakhtang Fitskhelauri, Aleksandre Khabeishvili, Abo Naverian, Anton Uper, Avtandil Surmanidze, Giorgi Muladze and Temur Kurtsikidze have been charged under Article 19-222, Paragraph 2(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns the attempted seizure or blockade of strategic and especially important facilities committed in a group.
They have also been charged under Article 225, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, which concerns participation in group violence.
Mariam Mekantsishvili has been charged under Article 226 of the Criminal Code, which concerns organizing group actions.
Nana Sander has been charged under Article 225, Paragraph 1, which concerns organizing group violence and carries a prison sentence of 6 to 9 years. She has also been charged under Article 317, which concerns calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order of Georgia and the removal of state authority, carrying a sentence of up to 9 years of imprisonment.
