Court dismisses drug accusations against Georgian protester
In a surprising turn of events, Nika Katsia, a protester who had been detained during Georgia's ongoing anti-government demonstrations, has been acquitted by the Tbilisi City Court on drug charges. This news comes amidst a series of sentences and acquittals related to the protests, which were sparked by the suspension of Georgia's EU membership bid by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Katsia's acquittal was announced by Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili on Wednesday. The verdict was met with applause from his supporters gathered in the courthouse yard. Katsia, in his closing statement, asserted that he 'will not retreat an inch' and that he was born for freedom.
The investigation accused Katsia of illegally acquiring and possessing 14 grammes of drugs. However, the case against him did not include any video evidence to substantiate the prosecution's claims. Moreover, the search during Katsia's detention did not have a neutral observer present, which is illegal. After his detention, his lawyers approached the National Bureau of Expertise for a drug test using a hair sample, which came back negative in February.
The latest wave of protests in Georgia began on 28 November 2024, following the suspension of the country's EU membership bid by Georgian Dream. Hundreds of people have been detained, and several protesters have already been convicted and sentenced to years in prison. Anton Chechin, a Russian citizen who got married in Georgia and participated in the demonstrations, was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison by the same court on Tuesday.
The case against Chechin involved a person presented as a neutral witness, an interpreter, but the defense questioned her credibility. The acquittal of Katsia, on the other hand, came on the same day two other protesters were sentenced to two-year prison terms on charges related to the ongoing protests. Anastasia Zinovkina and Artem Grib, two other individuals detained on drug-related charges, are still awaiting their verdicts.
The release of detained protesters and calls for new parliamentary elections have become one of the demonstrators' central demands. The protests have been marked by a strong commitment to peaceful resistance, despite the ongoing legal proceedings against many of the participants. Katsia's acquittal is a significant victory for the protesters, and it remains to be seen how this will impact the future of the demonstrations.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Palmer engages in a dispute with AfD.
- Eric Adams reportedly considering abandoning his mayoral campaign for a Trump administration position
- Musk Intends to Allocate $100 Million to Trump Supporters Following Tesla's Advertising in the White House
