Lawyer of the imprisoned head of the opposition-minded Mtavari channel Nika Gvaramia said on Monday that the Court of Appeals decision on Tuesday to schedule the trial on abuse of power case on October 4 was a violation of terms as the court should have delivered its verdict within two months.

The court cited vacations and other issues as the reason for delay.

Gvaramia was found guilty of causing a ₾6,763,509 damage to Rustavi 2 TV between 2015-2019, while heading the channel, through advertising deals, and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for abuse of power in June of this year.

Gvaramia, who took high posts under the United National Movement authorities, said that he was a “political prisoner.”