Georgian court remands Ukrainian national in custody over Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava's death

A Tbilisi court has ordered the pre-trial detention of Ukrainian national Valeria Kirlyuk, who has been charged with leaving Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava in a helpless condition.

Judge Arsen Kalatozishvili of the Tbilisi City Court handed down the decision. Kirlyuk did not attend the hearing. According to her lawyer, she remains in the intensive care unit of Vivamedi clinic.

The prosecution had requested detention, citing the risk that Kirlyuk could abscond, destroy evidence or commit another offence. The prosecutor also said that Kirlyuk failed to notify anyone about Buava, who had allegedly been left in a helpless condition in the apartment, even two days after she had left the property.

The defence opposed the prosecution's request for the strictest preventive measure, pointing to Kirlyuk's ongoing treatment in intensive care and asking the court to take her medical condition into consideration.

Kirlyuk, a Ukrainian citizen, has so far exercised her right to remain silent.

Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava was found dead in his apartment in Tbilisi on August 28.