Court of Appeals leaves verdict to deny ex-Defence Minister Okruashvili bail intact
Former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili says that he is politically persecuted. Photo: Radio Liberty/Free Europe.
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Tbilisi Court of Appeals has left the verdict to deny ex-Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili bail intact.
Okruashvili was charged with incitement to group violence during the June 20 protests in Tbilisi, which is punishable by six to nine years in prison.
He was denied bail on July 27 which was later appealed by Okruashvili’s lawyers.
Okruahsvili served as prosecutor general, interior and defence ministers under the United National Movement government.
After opposing former president and ally Mikheil Saakashvili back in 2007, he was detained on corruption charges.
Okruashvili left for France several days after he was released, where he lived until 2012.
He returned to Georgia in winter 2012, shortly after the Georgian Dream leadership defeated the nine-year-rule of the United National Movement leadership.
Currently he chairs the Victorious Georgia opposition party and is “fighting to regain his shares” of the Rustavi 2 channel.
Lawyers of former Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Okruashvili have appealed the decision of Tbilisi City Court to deny bail to the former official regarding the June 20 unrest in Tbilisi.
A Tbilisi City Court has denied bail to Irakli Okruashvili, the former Georgian Defence Minister under the United National Movement leadership. Okruashvili was detained on July 25 for incitement to violence during the clashes of June 20 in front of the parliament of Georgia. However, he denies the charges against him.
Irakli Okruashvili, the former Georgian Defence Minister under the United National Movement leadership has been detained for incitement to violence during the clashes of June 20 in front of the parliament of Georgia. Okruashvili has been charged with organising, heading and participating in group violence, the Georgian Interior Ministry reported.
Georgia’s former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili has announced he will return to politics and stand in the Mayoral elections in the Eastern Georgian city of Gori.
Tbilisi City Court has left former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili in pretrial detention, declining the offer of his lawyer on the payment of 500,000 GEL ($168,000) for bail.
Giorgi Javakhishvili and Tornike Datashvili, who were detained and charged after the June 20 rally in central Tbilisi, have been released on 2,000 GEL ($669) bail after confessing to the crime today.
Tbilisi City Court has denied former Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Okruashvili’s appeal for bail, with the judge saying that “there is a chance Okruashvili may go on the run or influence on witnesses if released on bail.”
A plea bargain has been signed with three individuals earlier today after they confessed to involvement in group violence during the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi.