TBILISI, September 6 – Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has appealed a court ruling that cleared doctor Giorgi Akhobadze of drug trafficking charges.
Akhobadze was acquitted on August 6 and walked free after a Tbilisi City Court judge found him not guilty of possessing large amounts of illegal substances.
Akhobadze was controversially arrested in December 2024 after attending an anti-government protest on Rustaveli Avenue. He was accused of buying and storing drugs in quantities that could have carried up to 20 years in prison.
Supporters claimed the charges were politically motivated and part of a wider clampdown on activists, while prosecutors insisted the evidence was solid. His acquittal came as a surprise to many in the opposition camp, who have long argued that the judges are controlled by the government.
Organizations defending human rights have worked hard to poke holes in the prosecution’s cases in his case and the cases of Tedo Abramov and Nika Katsia, efforts that ultimately succeeded in persuading the judges to pass a not-guilty verdict, which spurred a debate over possible explanations for why at least some judges are bucking alleged government pressure.
Now, the focus will be on Tbilisi Court of Appeals. Akhobadze’s lawyer said the struggle continues.
