We asked the Samkharadze Forensic Bureau: when two bottles of gasoline were poured on office furniture, would setting it on fire cause the results and create a real danger of what Aleko Elisashvili is accused of? According to the expertise’s response, it is impossible to draw such a conclusion with expert research, — this was stated by the lawyer of opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili, who is detained on charges of an attempt to commit a terrorist act, Archil Chopikashvili, to journalists.

According to the lawyer, the mentioned conclusion of the Samkharadze Forensic Bureau was presented at today’s hearing, which the prosecution side made undisputed.

“We received a response from the National Bureau of Forensic Expertise named after Levan Samkharadze to the expertise we appointed, where we had asked a question about the situation that developed in the footage on November 29, when two bottles of gasoline were poured on office furniture — would setting it on fire cause the results and create a real danger of what Aleko Elisashvili is accused of, and also whether it could cause the results of a terrorist act and whether it could damage the building of the Tbilisi City Court in such a way that the court’s functioning would be disrupted or stopped. According to the expertise’s response, it is impossible to draw such a conclusion with expert research, which the prosecution side made undisputed. This indicates that the hypothetical reasoning, which is unsubstantiated, as per the expertise’s conclusion as well as the witnesses’ testimonies, constitutes the charge against Aleko Elisashvili. It is impossible for a court to issue a guilty verdict based on a hypothetical, theoretical charge under the conditions of elementary justice,” Archil Chopikashvili stated.

For information: Aleko Elisashvili has been charged under Article 19-323 (Part 1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which involves an attempt to commit a terrorist act. This act provides for imprisonment from 10 to 15 years.

Aleko Elisashvili has also been charged under Article 19-323 (Part 1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia on another episode, which involves a terrorist act, that is, an explosion, setting fire, attack on a person, use of weapons, or other actions committed with terrorist intent that create the danger of taking a person’s life, causing significant property damage, or other grave consequences.

This act provides for imprisonment from 10 to 15 years.