Court in Georgia clears protester of drug-related accusations
In the heart of Georgia's ongoing protests, a significant development took place on Wednesday when Tbilisi City Court acquitted protester Nika Katsia on drug charges. This decision came amidst the sentencing of two other protesters to two-year prison terms on the same day.
Katsia was detained on December 7, 2024, as he left his home to attend a protest. The case against him did not include any video evidence to substantiate the prosecution's claims. His lawyer contended that the search of Katsia's home during his detention was illegal, as there was no neutral observer present.
The investigation accused Katsia of illegally acquiring and possessing 14 grammes of drugs, a crime that carries a sentence of 8 to 20 years or life imprisonment. However, the analysis carried out by the National Bureau of Expertise in February found no trace of drugs in a hair sample provided by Katsia's lawyers in December.
The acquittal was met with applause from Katsia's supporters gathered in the courthouse yard. Katsia, in a statement, declared that he 'will not retreat an inch' and will continue to fight for freedom.
This acquittal follows the acquittal of Tedo Abramov and Giorgi Akhobadze in August, who were also protesters facing drug charges. The defence in these cases questioned the credibility of the interpreters provided by law enforcement, arguing that they could not be considered impartial witnesses.
The case of Anton Chechin, another protester, was heard by the same court on Tuesday. Chechin was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison. The person who sentenced Chechin remains unidentified in the provided search results. Chechin's case involved a person presented by the prosecution as a neutral witness - an interpreter who was present during the search to facilitate communication between the police and the defendant.
The latest wave of protests in Georgia began on 28 November 2024, and several protesters have already been convicted and sentenced to years in prison. These protests were fueled by the suspension of Georgia’s EU membership bid by the ruling Georgian Dream party nine days earlier.
Two other individuals, Anastasia Zinovkina and Artem Gribul, are still awaiting their verdicts on drug-related charges. The acquittal of Katsia, however, brings a glimmer of hope to the protesters still fighting for their cause.
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