The guilty verdict issued against Davit Khomeriki, detained on charges of preparing an explosion in connection with ongoing protests, will be appealed to the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, according to lawyer Shota Tutberidze in a statement to journalists.
According to his explanation, Khomeriki was accused of possessing an unidentified substance or item, but this could not be substantiated in the case. Tutberidze stated that it became evident that Judge Nino Galustashvili did not receive a political directive to issue an acquittal in this case.
“As expected, the statement by Prime Minister Kobakhidze turned out to be yet another empty promise, when he claimed that some kind of evidentiary standard exists in court. Naturally, such a standard has never existed and does not exist now. Moreover, if we apply the evidentiary standard described by Kobakhidze to Davit Khomeriki’s case, we see that none of the components mentioned by this deceitful person on live television were adhered to in this case. There is not only no video evidence confirming any search or any type of crime, but there isn’t even a single procedural document compiled in accordance with criminal procedure. Let me remind you that political prisoner Khomeriki was initially detained under administrative procedures for blocking a road. The police claimed that during the arrest and for two hours afterward, they found nothing illegal on him, but miraculously, two hours later, illegal items were found on him at the Central Criminal Police Department.
Of course, we had some vague expectations, and it’s clear that when I personally observed that the repressive policies of ‘Georgian Dream’ had somewhat softened, I had some hopes. However, we always assumed and knew that the release of political prisoners depended not on the judge’s administration of justice but on political orders. I don’t know what distinguished this case—perhaps it was the nature of the charges themselves. As you know, no drugs were planted on Khomeriki; here, he was accused of possessing an unidentified substance or item, which could not and cannot be proven to have belonged to him. This was supported by the contradictory testimonies of the police officers. However, it turned out that in this case, Judge Galustashvili did not receive a political directive for an acquittal. Consequently, as of today, we have another politically convicted individual, sentenced by the first instance court,” Tutberidze stated.
For reference, Davit Khomeriki was arrested by law enforcement on December 2, 2024, initially under administrative procedures for blocking a road, along with his brother. However, according to the prosecution, incendiary devices prepared for use were found on him during the arrest.
Davit Khomeriki was charged under Article 18-229 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the preparation of a crime. This offense carries a penalty of 4 to 7 years of imprisonment.
Lawyer: If we apply the evidentiary standard described by Irakli Kobakhidze to Davit Khomeriki’s case, we will see that none of the components voiced by this sycophantic person are upheld in the case – the verdict will be appealed
