According to lawyer Mariam Shatirishvili, the decision by the Tbilisi City Court to impose pre-trial detention as a preventive measure for former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze will be appealed in the Court of Appeals today.
As the lawyer stated, an appeal is being prepared and will be submitted to the second instance by 6:00 PM today. Regarding the accused former minister, the lawyer noted that he is currently held in the 12th penitentiary institution.
“We believe that the use of pre-trial detention as a preventive measure against Juansher Burchuladze was completely unjustified and not based on any factual circumstances. Accordingly, we believe that a less severe preventive measure would fully address the risks that the investigation claims exist.
Juansher Burchuladze is in the 12th penitentiary institution. His position remains unchanged at this time. We are studying the case materials provided to us by the investigation so far, and after a thorough review, we will formulate our position in even greater detail. We are confident that our truth will be supported by all kinds of evidence.
At this stage, we have no reason to believe that additional charges might be brought against him, as even the charges already presented are not supported by any direct evidence,” stated Mariam Shatirishvili.
For reference, former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, accused of abuse of official authority and legalization of illegal income, has been imposed with pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, in 2023, Juansher Burchuladze abused his official position, with the assistance of his deputy, a relative, and the former head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, to supply a medical device to the military hospital for 3,940,000 GEL instead of 2,606,272 GEL, resulting in property damage of 1,333,728 GEL to the ministry.
In March 2025, Juansher Burchuladze and his spouse purchased property in Spain for 544,000 EUR. To conceal and disguise the origin of these funds and to give them a legal appearance, they entered into a fictitious purchase agreement for real estate in Tsqneti with a third party.
The former Defense Minister is accused of legalizing illegal and unjustified income totaling 1,593,212 GEL. Juansher Burchuladze has been charged under subparagraph “c” of the third part of Article 194 and the second part of Article 332 of the Criminal Code, which pertain to the abuse of official authority by a state-political official and the legalization of illegal income. These actions carry a penalty of 9 to 12 years of imprisonment.
Lawyer: Juansher Burchuladze is in the 12th penitentiary institution – we have no reason to believe additional charges might be brought against him, as the current charges are not supported by any direct evidence
