Chorchana Case Prosecutor: Court Evidence Does Not Confirm Gakharia Had Right to Make Unilateral Decision

In the so-called Chorchana case, prosecutor Tamar Iakobidze, who is handling the case against Giorgi Gakharia, former Minister of Internal Affairs, said that the examined evidence does not confirm whether Gakharia, as Minister of Internal Affairs, had the right to unilaterally make a decision on erecting a checkpoint near the occupation line.

According to Iakobidze, in the part of the charge's formulation it is important to first assess Gakharia's own action and then the causal link.

The prosecutor explained that a representative of the State Security Service has been questioned in the case. According to her, Gakharia is charged with unilaterally making a decision in 2019, as Minister of Internal Affairs, regarding the erection of a checkpoint. Iakobidze stated that the State Security Service was precisely the body that determined security policy at the occupation line.

According to her, the prosecution has submitted to the court certain evidence, including documents that were examined in a secret format and contain state secrets.

Iakobidze said that both representatives of the security service and other persons were asked whether there was discussion about taking over the checkpoint. According to her, every witness answered that the negative consequences of erecting the checkpoint began on August 24, 2019, and that the question of whether or not to take the checkpoint did not essentially change the consequences that had already occurred on August 24.

Giorgi Gakharia, who is also a former Prime Minister, is charged in the Chorchana case under Article 333, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. This article refers to the exceeding of official authority by a political official and provides for imprisonment of 3 to 5 years.

According to the charge, Gakharia unilaterally made the decision to erect an additional police checkpoint along the occupation line, near the village of Chorchana. As a result, about one hundred hectares of forest came under the control of occupation forces, various illegal activities took place, and heavy military equipment was moved toward populated areas. Additionally, the residential houses of residents of the villages of Kobi and Tnelisi in Khashuri Municipality came under occupied territory.