Georgia: mutiny case of 13 defendants to be considered separately

The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has concluded a procedural deal with the basic figure in the case of the so-called "Mukhrovani mutiny" Giya Gvaladze and with other 12 defendants. All of them have already been interrogated by the court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that 34 defendants had admitted their guilt of refusal to obey the order of the commander of the Mukhrovani battalion, when they decided not to go out for getting ready for the Independence Day of Georgia.

Maya Dzhulagidze, Giya Gvaladze's advocate, has stated that the procedural deal, concluded on the basis of cooperation with the inquiry and admission of guilt, assumes two years of imprisonment for her client, as reported by the "Civil.Ge" Agency.

Mr Gvaladze is accused under part two, Article 315 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (CCG) ("Mutiny with the aim of violent overthrow of constitutional order"), which assumes sanctions in the form of imprisonment for 7-15 years. At the same time, he is the main witness of the Prosecutor's Office against Koba Kobaladze. His evidence is the only proof, on the basis of which the former commander (before 2004) of the National Guards Koba Kobaladze had been accused under part two, Article 315, of the CCG.

The petition on concluding procedural deals was brought in by the Public Prosecutor on September 28, in the third part of litigation, after the two-day long interrogation of Gvaladze.

The petition of the Prosecutor's Office assumed severance (isolation) of the case of 13 defendants out of the main trial. The judge has satisfied this petition, having recognized it to be reasonable. According to his story, the case of 13 defendants will be severed and considered by another judge, who will approve, without any essential consideration of the case, the provisions stipulated in the procedural deal, as the "Georgia Online" Agency writes.

"As to the main organizers and other active participants of the crime, in particular, Koba Otanadze, Levan Amiridze, Shota Gorgiashvili and others, in their relation the investigation continues," runs the statement of the Main Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, which was promulgated today.

The "Gazeta.Ru" writes that the opposition and advocates, despite the video and audio materials, disseminated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) with evidences, and records of meetings and telephone conversations of the above persons, which prove, in the opinion of the investigation, the suspects' guilt, are accusing the authorities of falsifications.