Judge Giorgi Arevadze explains why he issued a guilty verdict against Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change.”

According to Arevadze, there were no mitigating circumstances in Khoshtaria’s case, as in the past there had been 16 administrative cases against her, and she had not paid any of the imposed fines.

“Her guilt is confirmed by footage recorded by a television company, as well as by footage recorded by a security officer. The total damage amounts to 570 GEL. According to the expert report, the banner cannot be restored.

There were no other mitigating circumstances. She has had 16 administrative cases against her and has not paid any of the imposed fines. She also had bail imposed, which she did not pay. The damage has not been compensated, and she does not admit guilt,” said Giorgi Arevadze.

For reference, Elene Khoshtaria, a politician and leader of the “Droa” party, who was charged with damaging Kakha Kaladze’s election banner, was found guilty by the court. The decision was made by Tbilisi City Court judge Giorgi Arevadze, who sentenced her to 1 year and 6 months in prison. Accordingly, Khoshtaria will leave the penitentiary institution in one year.

For reference, law enforcement officers detained Elene Khoshtaria on September 15 of last year.

She was charged under Part 1 of Article 187 of the Criminal Code of Georgia for damaging another person’s property, causing significant harm. This offense carries penalties including a fine, house arrest, or imprisonment from 1 to 5 years.

In this case, Khoshtaria was assigned bail of 5,000 GEL as a preventive measure, which she refused to pay, and she remained in custody until the verdict was announced.

On September 14, near Kakha Kaladze’s campaign headquarters, Khoshtaria wrote “Russian Dream” on his campaign banner. She shared a video of the act on social media herself, stating that she was expressing solidarity with Megi Diasamidze, who had been detained for damaging Kaladze’s campaign banner and was later released on bail.