Salome Chkheidze
Judge Davit Mgeliashvili at the Tbilisi City Court acquitted Bacho Akhalaia and seven other co-defendants. Regardless the fact, Akhalaia is still in prison for another charge – he was convicted for the so-called Prison Riot case.
At the trial on October 31, Tbilisi City Court acquitted Bachana Akhalaia and seven other co-defendants Davit Vekua, Mamuka Abashidze, Aleksi Davitashvili, Davit Chubinidze, Vladimer Zangieva, Robert Sutidze and Davit Giorgashvili. The case referred to the torture and inhuman treatment of seven task force servants. The defense side claimed the soldiers were not tortured but they took ranger’s training course. The Judge accepted the defense side’s position and passed not-guilty verdict.
On August 1, judge acquitted Bacho Akhalaia in one more case, which was related with verbal and physical assault of military servants and restriction of freedom of businessman Zviad Abesadze.
Despite his two non-guilty verdicts, Bacho Akhalai remained in the prison because on October 28, he was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail.
Lately, Prosecutor’s Office launched a new criminal case against Akhalaia. On October 26, Court found the former minister guilty in the case of Sandro Girgvliani’s murder and sentenced him to pretrial detention.