Court leaves adult charged with murder of teenager in high-profile case in pre-trial detention

Tbilisi City Court has ruled not to release Mikheil Kalandia, charged with the premediated murder in a high-profile murder case, from  pre-trial detention.

Kalandadze’s lawyer also demanding the suspension of criminal prosecution against him, “due to a lack of evidence” in the case, which was also dismissed.  

The court will have to release Kalandia in the end as there is no evidence that he killed Saralidze,” said the lawyer.

Luka Kalandia, brother of Mikheil Kalandia, urged Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili to apologise for her statement made after Kalandia’s detention back in June that Kalandia was trying to hide when he was detained.

“The incompetent and false statements prevents my brother’s release on bail,” Luka Kalandia said before the judge announced his decision.

Kalandia was charged with premeditated murder of David Saralidze by a group, in aggravating circumstances on June 5, 2019.

The teenage boys, David Saralidze and Levan Dadunashvili, killed in a school brawl in Tbilisi in 2017. 

He does not admit to the crime.

Kalandia’s family says that the case has political grounds and the government is trying to calm the turmoil around the case ahead of 2020 elections.

Father of deceased Saralidze, Zaza Saralidze, states that “justice has been factually restored,” waiting fora “fair verdict” for Kalandia.

Saralidze has been pointing at Kalandia for several months, saying that a former official of the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, who was Kalandia’s relative, was trying ‘to hide Kalandia’s trace in the offence.’