“I expect the defense to appeal the verdict announced today. That is their right,” said Mariam Berdzenishvili, the prosecutor in the case of former State Security Service (SSS) chief Grigol Liluashvili, who was convicted of corruption-related offenses.

According to Mariam Berdzenishvili, Grigol Liluashvili’s right to a fair trial was unequivocally and fully guaranteed.

“Georgian legislation provides for the right to appeal a verdict. Since the defendant did not admit the charges, naturally, I expect the defense to appeal the verdict announced today. If they say that they will apply to the European Court of Human Rights, that is also their right. The right to a fair trial was unequivocally and fully guaranteed in this criminal case. The defense was able to make use of every available legal mechanism. They were not restricted in any way at any stage. They were never limited even in terms of time,” the prosecutor said.

Asked whether she expects Grigol Liluashvili to express a desire to enter into a plea agreement, Mariam Berdzenishvili said: “You can always expect anything; nothing can be ruled out.”

“I cannot tell you how Grigol Liluashvili and his lawyers will act or what strategy they will pursue. However, I can clearly say that, from a legal perspective, this case is no different from other cases. Just as any other convicted or accused person has the right to exercise the rights guaranteed by law, the same applies to Grigol Liluashvili. If he expresses a desire to enter into a plea agreement, and if there is an admission of guilt, naturally, we will consider it accordingly. You can always expect anything; nothing can be ruled out,” the prosecutor said.

Mariam Berdzenishvili said the case was notable for the large number of witnesses, whose information provided to the court was consistent with one another and with the evidence.

“I often heard in connection with this case that Romeo Mikautadze was the key witness, although we were prosecuting four separate episodes. With regard to two of those episodes, Romeo Mikautadze had no information whatsoever. We examined the evidence and questioned the witnesses, which, beyond a reasonable doubt, in fact confirmed the actions committed by him. I always said, and I would like to emphasize once again, that the case was notable for the large number of witnesses. These witnesses provided the court with information that was consistent with one another and also consistent with other evidence contained in the case. Accordingly, the court delivered a guilty verdict,” the prosecutor said.

Grigol Liluashvili, the former head of the State Security Service who was charged with corruption-related offenses, was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The decision was handed down by Nino Tarashvili, a judge at the Tbilisi City Court.

According to Tarashvili’s verdict, Liluashvili was found guilty on all four counts brought against him: protecting alleged criminal activities at the Preschool Management Agency, protecting fraudulent “call centers,” and two episodes of accepting bribes with the assistance of Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze.