Court releases detainee arrested for murder in Gudauri after pre-trial detention term ends

Merab Kobiashvili, who had been in pre-trial detention for murdering Tamaz Gortamashvili  and injuring Gortamashvili’s friend, David Seturidze, has been released from the courtroom today as the term of his pre-trial detention came to an end and a  sufficient number of jurors could not be selected for a jury trial.

• Murder in Gudauri: detainee asks for trial to be heard in front of jury

In the middle of May, Kobiashvili expressed his desire for his case to be decided by a jury.

Police detained Merab Kobiashvili for attempted premeditated murder and for murder under aggravating circumstances in Georgia’s mountain resort town of Gudauri on February 16, 2020.

Kobiashvili’s lawyer Tariel Kakabadze told the media that the court’s decision was not unexpected:

The jury selection procedure is still underway. Four sessions have already been scheduled and we hope that [...] jurors will be selected and a hearing of the case will begin soon. Kobiashvili expressed his desire for his case to be decided by a jury… He is sure that everyone will see his innocence”, said Kakabadze.

Soon after the murder case, Tariel Kakabadze stated that the Prosecutor’s Office has video recordings of Kobiashvili being attacked by six individuals on several occasions and did not allow him to escape.

Kakabadze said Kobiashvili was defending himself from aggressive attackers with his own firearm and that he did not intend to take revenge for the conflict that started a few days earlier before the murder case.

Kakabadze also told several media outlets that he was in possession of evidence of how the participants of the conflict cheated tourists and forced them to pay extra money for certain services. 

Kobiashvili pointed out their unfair behaviour which led to the conflict.

As a result of the conflict, Kobiashvili also sustained a number of injuries, after which  the Prosecutor’s Office charged six individuals for group violence against Kobiashvili.