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Bacho Akhalaia was acquitted along with seven others for abuse of special unit employees. The prosecutor will appeal the ruling. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court found Bacho Akhalaia not guilty of abusing seven special unit employees, a case which has been under review for two months.

The former defense minister was on trial for mistreatment and torture for political reasons of seven special unit employees. Seven other persons on trial along with him were also found not guilty.

This is the second time the court has acquitted Akhalaia, but he is sentenced to three years and nine months in jail in connection with a prison riot in 2006.

Akhalaia also still faces other charges, that related to the murder of bank employee Sandro Girgvliani. The first hearing in this case will be on November 18. https://dfwatch.net/bacho-akhalaia-sentenced-to-three-years-nine-months-63904

The prosecutor in the case about seven special unit employees plans to appeal Tbilisi City Court’s decision to the Appeals Court, but plans to get more familiar with the court’s decision before the appeal.

Lawyers working for Akhalaia are satisfied with today’s decision. They have claimed that the Prosecutor’s Office built their case on fake witness testimonies.

The statement of Tbilisi City Court reads that the judge, Davit Mgeliashvili, after having reviewed the case considered that there wasn’t presented sufficient evidence to clearly and convincingly establish the guilt of the eight who were charged.

“The prosecution did not present agreed evidence to prove the guilt of Bachana Akhalaia, Mamuka Abashidze, Davit Chubinidze, Alexi Davitashvili, Vladimer Zangieva, Davit Giorgiashvili, Robert Sutidze and Davit Vekua beyond reasonable doubt.”