News

 

HRC is still defending the interests of Lazare Grigoriadis - the activist of the rally held on March 8-9 against the adoption of the Russian Law. 

On May 1, 2023, a preliminary court hearing was held in Tbilisi City Court. Nato Khujadze was the judge assigned to the case. At the hearing, the issue of changing the measure of restraint against Grigoriadis was reviewed, as well as the issue of admissibility of the evidence obtained both by the prosecution and defense.  The defense and prosecution presented the evidence obtained by each of them to the court asking the court to enter them into the case files.  

The defense filed several motions concerning the prosecutor's motion, which was filed during the investigation phase and was seeking to issue an arrest warrant against Lazare Grigoriadis, whereas another motion of the defense was requesting not to admit as evidence the report of person’s identification through photographs.

The Prosecutor's Office filed a motion requesting to find inadmissible the report of the forensic portrait examination which took place following the defense's request.

The judge assigned for the preliminary hearing allowed all the motions filed by the prosecution including those requesting to find inadmissible the evidence submitted by the defense.  Meanwhile, the judge granted no motions filed by the defense. 

In reviewing the issue of the measure of restraint applied against Grigoriadis, the judge also failed to allow the motion by the defense asking to replace remand in custody with remand on bail. 

In the end, the judge assigned to the case managed to hand over the case to the court for hearing on the merits with the following story: The court has granted all the motions by the prosecution against none being granted as filed by the defense. 

The hearing on the merits is scheduled on May 8, 2023, at 11:00.