On Monday, a Tbilisi City Court ordered that former defense minister Bacho Akhalaia be held in pre‑trial detention. The judge’s hearing was conducted in a sealed session, according to the court, to keep the personal details of State Security Service employees confidential.
Family members and political supporters were allowed to sit in the courthouse, but Akhalaia’s wife, Ani Nadareishvili, was excluded from the proceedings. The judge noted that it was still unclear whether she will be a witness or a defendant in the case.
The former minister was taken into custody by the State Security Service on Thursday. Investigators claim he coordinated the events that erupted on October 4 in Tbilisi, an episode the authorities describe as a failed attempt to overthrow the government. The SSS says evidence shows Akhalaia directed the unrest via several online messaging platforms, according to reports from Xinhua news agency.
Under Georgia’s criminal code, he faces charges of organizing and leading a violent collective act. A conviction could carry up to nine years behind bars.
Akhalaia rose to prominence in the previous administration of the United National Movement. He served as the head of the Penitentiary Department from 2005 to 2009, then as Minister of Defense from 2009 until 2012, and held the Interior Ministry briefly at the end of 2012.
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