Supreme Court of Georgia

Akhaltsikhe District Court Delivered The Judgment of Acquittal

Published: 07/04/2013

On July 3, 2013 Akhaltsikhe District Court found the five accused persons not guilty. According to the courts verdict, the former head of Akhaltsikhe Unit of the Ministry of Interior Mamuka Khvedeliani and the four former employees of the same department were found not guilty in the charge of committing a crime. 

According to the case materials, Mamuka Khvedeliani, George Bliadze, Alexander Bliadze, Sergo Samsonadze together with unidentified persons by the investigation were charged in committing humiliation and coercion, as well as humiliation of dignity and degrading treatment towards the person, causing the severe physical, mental and moral suffering, inflicted and committed by the civil servants who used their official positions.

Mamuka Khvedeliani was also accused in committing of illegal deprivation of liberty of a person by the officers group and abuse of authority, which caused the breach of legitimate interests of a natural person that was committed in the abusive and violent way against the victims personal dignity.

None of the defendants plead guilty in the accusation during the case examination on the merits.

The evidences presented by the prosecution, which were examined at the trial, were not in line with the testimonies of victims, and in most cases excluded the facts noted by the abused persons. Besides, the investigative actions (or identification) protocols, which could be a significant part of accusation, were not in line with the investigative actions represented in the video record, what puts the evidences under the doubts. 

The court pointed out that according to the article 82 of the Section 3 of Criminal Code of Georgia, in order to find a person guilty, it is necessary to have the weight of coordinated evidence beyond the reasonable doubt. The weight of evidences, presented at the trial, did not provide the standards of establishing the guilty verdict according to the Criminal Procedure Code. Therefore, the court found all the accused persons not guilty in the charges and released them from the court room.