The Court has found former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia not guilty of charges regarding the period of being Minister of defense and the pre-trial detention has been abolished.
The court delivered a verdict for Bacho Akhalaia on inhuman treatment of soldiers and restriction of freedom of Zviad Abesadze today.
7 other people were charged with the above-mentioned crime, including former head of the Joint Staff Gigi Kalandadze. Only Bacho Akhalaia and Gaga Mkurnaladze are in custody. Two defendants are wanted, while four others were released on bail.
Supporters of Bacho Akhalaia and others charged along with him applauded the not guilty verdict at Tbilisi City Court. The trial was attended by Bacho Akhalaia himself. He didn’t say anything; a prison guard immediately took Akhalaia from the court room as soon as the decision was declared. As an InterPressNews correspondent informs from Tbilisi City Court the former Head of Joint Staff Gigi Kalandadze stated, today’s decision was expected for him, as he and others charged with him didn’t commit the crime.
The Prosecutor’s office is going to appeal Tbilisi City Court’s decision. Bacho Akhalaia and 7 other people were declared not guilty of inhuman treatment of soldiers and restriction of freedom of Zviad Abesadze.
Two out of the 8 defendants, Aleksandre Gorgadze and Zurab Shamatava were sentenced to 140 days of public labor for one of the instances of the case, abusing Paata Paatashvili, though as the article was included in the amnesty and the punishment was abolished for both defendants.
The former Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia is charged with two other crimes – torture of 7 SWAT members for different political views and the so-called prison riot and remains in custody.

By Khatuna Gagnidze