“The prosecution has not presented the evidence required by Georgian legislation to deliver a verdict in this criminal case,” said Shorena Nikabadze, lawyer for brothers Giorgi Mikadze and Davit Mikadze, who are accused of organizing the contract killing of businessman Levan Jangveladze, speaking to journalists before the hearing.

At this moment, the defense lawyers are delivering their closing arguments in court.

“At today’s hearing, the defense will present its closing statement, which will not be 350 or 400 pages long. It will be as long as necessary to once again summarize and demonstrate to the public, and first of all to the judge, that in this criminal case the prosecution has not provided the evidence required by Georgian law to reach a verdict. My intuition tells me that this will not require 300 or 400 pages, given that the prosecution itself has presented only a limited amount of evidence. None of it is direct evidence, and none of it is connected to the criminal charges against Giorgi Mikadze and Davit Mikadze.

As evidence of organizing the March 14 murder, the prosecution has presented surveillance footage from February 15, 2025 — one month before the murder — showing a meeting of individuals at the Tbilisi Tower hotel.

The individuals are not identified, and the prosecution’s claim that the people shown in the footage are those they allege is not credible. Moreover, these video recordings cannot constitute evidence, as there is no proof regarding the purpose of any meeting that may have taken place on February 15 at Tbilisi Tower,” Nikabadze said.

For reference, the investigation accuses Giorgi Mikadze, Davit Mikadze, and Giorgi Jokhadze of organizing the contract killing of Levan Jangveladze.

Giorgi Jokhadze is also accused, together with Giorgi Kachkachashvili, of illegally purchasing firearms as part of a group.

For the contract killing of Levan Jangveladze and the attempted murder of Gia Chaduneli, Gela Udzilauri has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Within the same case, Sandro Tsivtsivadze has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for the illegal sale of firearms.

Also charged in this case is former Prosecutor General Otar Romanov-Fartsakhaladze. He has been charged under Article 25/109, subparagraph “n” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which refers to organizing a contract, premeditated murder for financial gain.

This crime carries a sentence of 16 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Otar Romanov-Fartsakhaladze is a Russian citizen and is currently on an international wanted list.