Opposition leader Elisashvili’s lawyer calls for ‘immediate resumption’ of trial, withdrawal of ‘absurd’ charge

A lawyer for opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili has called on the court to “immediately resume” the substantive hearing of one of the criminal cases against his client and urged the Prosecutor’s Office to withdraw an “absurd” charge.

Giorgi Rekhviashvili said there was no evidence in the case capable of proving that Elisashvili had committed a crime. 

He added four criminal cases were currently being pursued against Elisashvili. He described one of them as the so-called “dog case” and alleged that the proceedings had been left pending for more than three months without substantive hearings because prosecutors lacked evidence.

The lawyer claimed that proceeding with the case would expose what he described as an attempt to prosecute Elisashvili without sufficient evidence. He said the restrictions imposed on his client - including limits on communication with family members and others, as well as correspondence restrictions - were another reason for the court to resume the proceedings immediately.

“I ask the court to immediately take this case off the shelf and begin its substantive examination. We also ask the Prosecutor’s Office to withdraw the charge, which is absurd and on the basis of which these restrictions have been imposed,” Rekhviashvili said.

Four criminal cases have been brought against Elisashvili in total. In one of them, concerning an attempted terrorist act, he has been convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

He has also been charged with carrying out a terrorist act in connection with a fire at a court archive building.

In addition, Elisashvili faces a contempt of court charge related to an incident in which he allegedly referred to police officer Shota Chipashvili as “dishonourable man”.

Elisashvili has also been charged with the politically motivated persecution of Ali Babaev, one of the founders of the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party.