Court sentences two to 16, 17 years in prison for murder of Georgian social media platform co-founder
Judge Davit Mgeliashvili found Ako Chelidze and Giorgi Kaviladze guilty of premeditated murder of Kvaratskhelia, as well as of illegal purchase, possession and carrying of firearms. Chelidze is set to face 17 years in prison, while Kaviladze has been sentenced to 16 years. Photo: IPN.
Tweet 
Share
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced two individuals to 16 and 17 years in prison for murdering Nika Kvaratskhelia, co-founder of the Georgian social media platform Feedc, Interpressnews agency reported on Friday.
Judge Davit Mgeliashvili found Ako Chelidze and Giorgi Kaviladze guilty of premeditated murder of Kvaratskhelia, as well as of illegal purchase, possession and carrying of firearms.
Chelidze is set to face 17 years in prison, while Kaviladze has been sentenced to 16 years.
The offenders did not attend the announcement of the verdict and disagreed with the classifications of the charges. Chelidze has admitted he killed Kvaratskhelia but argued he “had no accomplice in the murder and did not buy a weapon together with Kaviladze.”
Kaviladze pleaded not guilty on both charges and said he had not known about the murder in advance and that his only crime was not reporting the killing to the police.
On September 15, 2021, the 22-year-old Kvaratskhelia died after receiving more than 10 gunshots on Anjaparidze Street in Tbilisi.
After about a month of searching, Chelidze and Kaviladze were arrested in Tskneti, on the outskirts of Tbilisi, and charged with premeditated murder of Kvaratskheia.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has released the intermediate results of its ongoing investigation into the murder of co-founder of Georgian social media platform Feedc, Nika Kvaratskhelia.
Police have arrested 21-year-old Ako Chelidze and 22-year-old Giorgi Kiviladze for the murder of co-founder of Georgian social media platform Feedc, Nika Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian Interior Ministry says that the detainees preliminarily planned the assassination of Kvaratskhelia and ‘illegally bought firearms, ammunition and rented a car.’
The family of 22-year-old Nika Kvaratskhelia, who was shot in central Tbilisi on September 15, 2021 and died after receiving eight gunshots, says that two alleged killers may also be murdered by the individuals who put a hit out against Kvaratskhelia ‘to hide the real motive.’
Nika Kvaratskhelia, co-founder of Georgian social media Feedc, has died following a shooting in the Vera district of Tbilisi.