Opposition leader Zodelava admitted charges to secure plea deal, lawyer

Opposition leader Murtaz Zodelava admitted the conduct he was charged with as part of a plea agreement in Georgia’s 4 October case, his lawyer Ramaz Chinchaladze has said.

“Under current legislation, a plea agreement cannot be concluded without an admission of guilt by the defendant,” Chinchaladze told journalists on Wednesday.

The lawyer said plea agreements were a legal right available to defendants and convicted persons, and argued that exercising that right should not be misinterpreted.

He added that his previous legal assessments concerning Zodelava’s alleged role as an organiser had been based on evidence collected during the investigation and examined by the first-instance court. He said he was not withdrawing those legal assessments.

The Court of Appeals has approved plea agreements for Zodelava, Lasha Beridze, Irakli Chkhvirkia and Guri Zhvania, all detained in connection with the 4 October case.

Zodelava and Beridze are due to be released on 4 November, Chkhvirkia on 6 November, and Zhvania on 16 November.

Meanwhile, Konstantine Kokaia, Kakhaber Mzhavanadze and Davit Sturua have also requested plea agreements in connection with the case.