Court remands law enforcement officers accused of violence against opposition politician Khabeishvili in custody

A court has ordered pre-trial detention for law enforcement officers accused of using violence against opposition politician Levan Khabeishvili during protest rallies, according to prosecutor Lasha Gamkrelidze.

Speaking after the hearing, Gamkrelidze said the defendants had admitted guilt.

“The case concerns abuse of power by employees of the Special Tasks Department against Levan Khabeishvili,” the prosecutor said.

According to Gamkrelidze, the prosecution requested detention as a preventive measure and the court fully granted the motion.

“The defendants acknowledge the crime they committed. At this stage they do not have lawyers. Their position was that they admit the offence and agreed to the use of detention against them,” he stated.

The hearing was held behind closed doors, which the prosecutor said was due to the personal safety of those involved in the proceedings.

Gamkrelidze noted that the investigation has involved extensive investigative work, including interviews with around 550 individuals and the examination of hundreds of video recordings.

“The case is very significant in terms of its scale,” he said.

The prosecutor also stated that Khabeishvili had been summoned for questioning but declined to provide information voluntarily. He added that the opposition figure could still be questioned if he chose to participate later.

According to Gamkrelidze, the individuals charged in the Khabeishvili case are former employees of the Special Tasks Department, including one current employee of the State Security Service.

On 7 May, authorities arrested three former and one current special forces officers, along with a serving employee of the security police, over alleged attacks on Levan Khabeishvili, Guram Rogava and Zviad Maisashvili.