Giorgi Gakharia sentenced to pretrial detention in absentia over so-called “Chorchana case”

Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has been sentenced to pretrial detention in absentia in connection with the so-called “Chorchana episode”.

According to the prosecutor, there is a risk that Gakharia may commit a new crime, influence witnesses, or evade justice. Meanwhile, the defense attorneys petitioned the court to release him without any preventive measure.

The Prosecutor’s Office stated that in 2019, Gakharia unilaterally decided to establish an additional police checkpoint along the occupation line near the village of Chorchana.

The decision prompted Russian occupying forces to set up several new checkpoints and resulted in the occupation of around one million square meters of Georgian territory.

As part of the ongoing investigation into aiding hostile activities and attempting sabotage, multiple witnesses have been questioned. If found guilty, Gakharia faces up to 13 years in prison.

The former Prime Minister is currently believed to be residing in Germany, where he fled after the launch of the criminal proceedings.