Defense Appeals Court Ruling on Ramishvili’s Pre-Trial Custody

Davit Korkotashvili, defense lawyer of Shalva Ramishvili who is a co-founder of the Tbilisi-based private 202 television station and who is currently facing extortion charges, appealed the Tbilisi District Court on August 31 requesting to suspend the lower court?s ruling, which sentenced Ramishvili and his partner Davit Kokhreidze, director of the 202 TV, to three-month pre-trial custody on August 29.

Meanwhile, Ramishvili and Kokhreidze, who deny extortion accusations and label them a provocation, continue their hunger strike claiming that their detention is politically-motivated.

MP from the ruling National Movement party Elene Tevdoradze, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, visited Shalva Ramishvili and Davit Kokhreidze in prison on August 31.

She told reporters after her meeting with detainees that Kokhreidze?s health is worse than Ramishvili?s, but both men refuse to stop their hunger strike.

Ramishvili is accused of attempted extortion of USD 100,000 from Parliamentarian from the ruling National Movement party Koba Bekauri.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)