Courts acquit 14 individuals illegally convicted under previous gov’t

The Georgian prosecutor general’s office on Tuesday said 14 individuals who had been illegally convicted under the United National Movement government in two separate cases had been acquitted by courts in capital Tbilisi and western city of Kutaisi following the office’s “new, unbiased and comprehensive” investigation. 

The office had asked the courts to re-examine the cases dating back to 2007 and 2011 and related to appropriation and embezzlement of budget funds and attempted armed coup respectively. 

In comments on the 2007 case, the body said that a former director of Tsageri Water Supply and Sewage company in western Georgia, founded with a 100 percent share of the state, had been convicted for appropriation of ₾17,548 ($6,400), while a former head of the financial service of the Tsageri district administration had been convicted for embezzlement of the funds.

The body said its department for investigation of crimes committed in the process of litigation had reinvestigated the case under Georgian Dream authorities and addressed Kutaisi court to re-examine its earlier judgment based on new evidence. The two individuals were found innocent earlier this month as a result of the proceedings.

455 individuals had been identified as victims [under the UNM] by the department since 2015. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

In its remarks on the alleged attempted armed coup case, the body said the Tbilisi court of appeals had acquitted 12 former convicts who were granted the status of political prisoners by the Georgian state legislature in 2013, a year after the Georgian Dream government took office. 

A new, complete and objective investigation was conducted in the case, new witnesses have been interviewed, dozens of investigative and procedural actions have been conducted, investigation and court case materials have been studied [and] new evidence has been obtained, which has confirmed an essential violation of the rights of the defendants”, said the body.

The office also noted the individuals had faced torture and inhumane treatment during their arrest and later in custody.

It also detailed figures since the creation of its department in 2015, noting 455 individuals had been identified as victims, of which 323 had already seen or would have their real estate and other property - estimated at about ₾60 million ($22 mln) by the country’s economy ministry and illegally seized under UNM authorities - returned to them.

The department has applied to courts for revision of verdicts for 115 former convicts, of which 108 individuals have already been acquitted while 42 have been granted the status of political prisoners.