TBILISI, December 27 – A Georgian court on Saturday, Dec. 27, ordered pre-trial detention for former defense minister Bacho Akhalaia, in the case about the October 4 ‘revolution’.
According to Georgian media reports, Tbilisi City Court granted the prosecution’s request to place Akhalaia in custody as the investigation continues. The case is being handled by Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG).
Prosecutors say Akhalaia is accused under Criminal Code Article 225, Part 1, described as organizing and leading “group violence.” The prosecution said the alleged offense carries a possible prison sentence of up to nine years.
Georgia’s security service has publicly claimed Akhalaia was a “main organizer” of the October 4 events and that he allegedly coordinated actions remotely through an internet application. The same reports say investigators pointed to online contacts with a number of individuals, including former officials and public figures, as part of their account of how the alleged coordination worked.
Akhalaia’s family has pushed back. His wife, Anna Nadareishvili, said she had been contacted by investigators and described earlier investigative steps as improper, saying she wanted any questioning to take place before a magistrate judge. She also said a relative had been detained for several hours, describing it as pressure on the family.
The court session itself became part of the story. Nadareishvili said she was asked to leave the courtroom because she is listed as a witness in the case.
The arrest and court move immediately triggered political sparring.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the Oct. 4 events amounted to an attempt to overthrow Georgia’s constitutional order and included violence, adding that investigators had evidence.
The opposition, meanwhile, called the case politically motivated. A representative of the United National Movement, Lasha Parulava, said the government was responsible for the Oct. 4 events and argued the detention was being used to distract from allegations of systemic corruption.
Georgia’s State Security Service dismissed Akhalaia’s complaints about threats and said his statements in court reflected only on him personally. The SSSG also said its officers questioned him about whether only he, or also his wife, had the relevant online contacts cited in the investigation, describing this as part of its handling of the case.
