15:50, 10 November 2014

Georgia: charges against Mikhail Saakashvili on beating MP Gelashvili toughened

Mikhail Saakashvili (on the left). Photo: VOA - Voice of America, Russian service https://ru.wikipedia.org

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Georgia has re-qualified the charges against the former President Mikhail Saakashvili in the case of beating Valery Gelashvili from the article of abuse of power to an article of inflicting grievous bodily harm. The same charge has been presented to Saakashvili's ally Vano Merabishvili.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that it was on August 5, 2014, that the GPO reported about charging Saakashvili with abuse of power in the case of beating the Georgian MP Valery Gelashvili in July 2005.

"Mikhail Saakashvili and Vano Merabishvili, earlier accused under Part 3, Article 333 (abuse of power with use of violence), are now charged under Part 5, Article 25-117, of the Criminal Code of Georgia (organization of grievous bodily harm)," says the today's statement of the GPO, as quoted by the "News-Georgia".

Let us note here that the former president is also accused under a number of other cases; and on August 2, he was arrested in absentia by the court. Earlier, Mikhail Saakashvili himself stated that he considered his prosecution exclusively political.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.