Court of Appeals Remands Two to Pre-trial Detention in Eviction Standoff Case
The attorney of Akaki Chikobava and Giorgi Khasaia, accused of damaging the car of the National Bureau of Enforcement during the Kekelidze eviction, has confirmed to Civil.ge that they were remanded in custody by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals on February 2. Their release now depends only on the Prosecutor’s appeal to the first instance to overturn the decision.
The defendants are charged under Article 187, Part 2, Subsection “c” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for the punishment of a group for damaging or destroying another person’s property, resulting in substantial damage.
On January 30, the prosecutor in the case, Roin Khintibidze, said that if the defendants confessed to the crime and paid the damages, the prosecution was ready to ask for a less severe measure than imprisonment. The defendants have partially confessed, saying that they had damaged the car, but not in a group. According to their lawyer, Khasaia and Chikobava agreed to pay for the damage.
Also Read:
- 31/01/2024 – Journalist Detained During Kekelidze Eviction Standoff Fined
- 26/01/2024 – Eight Defendants Fined in Kekelidze Street Eviction Standoff Case
- 23/01/2024 – Police Physically Assault Journalists During Eviction Standoff, Detain One
