“I expect that Mr. Grigol Liluashvili will not spend 13 years in prison, and I hope that the Court of Appeals will at least preserve the integrity of the judiciary,” Lana Tsertsvadze, lawyer for former State Security Service (SSS) chief Grigol Liluashvili, who was convicted of corruption-related offenses, told the media after the court delivered its guilty verdict.

The lawyer appealed to the Court of Appeals to act in accordance with the law, saying that the first-instance court had failed to fulfill its duties today.

“I am appealing only to the court to act in accordance with the law and to fulfill the sole mission entrusted to the judiciary — to make decisions based only on evidence. I am sending my message exclusively to the judicial system, whose first instance failed to fulfill its function and duty today,” the lawyer said.

According to the lawyer, both the defense and Grigol Liluashvili himself expected an acquittal because, in their view, there is no evidence in the case proving that Grigol Liluashvili committed a crime.

Tsertsvadze said the defense would appeal the court’s guilty verdict to the Court of Appeals.

“It is difficult for me to provide a legal assessment of what I consider to be an unjust court ruling. The defense expected an acquittal, and this expectation was based solely on the fact that there is, in reality, no evidence in the case proving that Mr. Grigol Liluashvili committed the alleged crime. Unfortunately, the court made an objective? [correction: an] unobjective, unfair and biased decision; accordingly, the defense will take the appropriate legal steps. Within the time limits established by law, this unfair and unsubstantiated verdict will be appealed.

“The defense and Mr. Grigol Liluashvili expected an acquittal because there was not a single piece of evidence in the case that proved his guilt. Mr. Grigol Liluashvili will seek to prove his innocence through legal means. This unsubstantiated, unlawful and unfair decision will be challenged before the Court of Appeals.

“The judiciary is a higher institution; it is not the prosecution. However, if the court also acts unlawfully, just as the prosecution does, this is not merely Grigol Liluashvili’s problem. When a guilty verdict is issued in a case of this category despite the absence of evidence, the country — and above all, the judiciary, which is an independent institution — should have the capacity to reflect on how such practices may affect the country in the future,” Tsertsvadze 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.