ECHR confirms Ex-Georgian Defence Minister’s Kezerashvili’s guilt in embezzlement case, Justice Minister

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld a ruling by Georgia’s Supreme Court, finding former Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili guilty of embezzling over €5 million in state funds, Justice Minister Anri Okhanashvili announced.

The funds, allocated for military training, were diverted through a fictitious contract shortly before the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Okhanashvili said. He dismissed claims of political persecution, emphasizing that the ECHR found no violations in the case and rejected Kezerashvili’s demand for moral damages.

Labeling the decision a “victory for Georgia,” the Minister said it affirmed justice for a crime that compromised national defence resources. Kezerashvili, who left Georgia in 2012, faces several legal proceedings on related charges.