Nikolaishvili: Georgadze's supporters were trialled in Georgia like American Negroes a hundred years ago

"We can state that they were trialled in the same manner as America Negroes a hundred years ago. It is one of most shameful pages in the history of Georgian justice," advocate Gela Nikolaishvili said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He has also noted that the verdict to the supporters of Georgadze, accused of an armed putsch attempt, was announced in an empty courtroom, in the presence of the public prosecutor and advocates only.

"The judge simply reiterated the indictment, without accounting any out of many dozens of conclusive evidences presented by the defence," Mr Nikolaishvili has stated.

Today, the Tbilisi City Court has passed a verdict to 12 supporters of Igor Georgadze (Giorgadze), former head of state security service of Georgia, who is now in international search, accused of an attempt of an armed coup d'etat.

The verdict was announced by Judge Mamuka Nozadze in the absence of the defendants, who refused in protest to be present at announcement of the verdict.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that Georgadze's supporters were detained on September 6 last year and sentenced to terms from 2 to 8.5 years of imprisonment.

Georgadze (Giorgadze), who once took the post of the Minister of State Security of Georgia, was accused in 1995 of an attempt on ex-president Eduard Shevardnadze. The law enforcement bodies of Georgia have announced Georgadze into international search.