Public Defender's Office: Article 18 of the European Convention violated in Nika Gvaramia's case
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, December 8, 2022
The Public Defender of Georgia has completed the study of the appeal verdict of Nika Gvaramia, the founder of 'Mtavari Channel'. According to the document, the Public Defender believes that Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights (restriction of human rights based on non-conventional/political motives) is violated in the criminal case of Nika Gvaramia.
As stated in the conclusion, this assessment was based not only on the study of court decisions and case materials, but also on the public statements of government officials addressed to Nika Gvaramia (before and after imprisonment), as well as the analysis of the media environment in the country.
According to the Public Defender's assessment, the appeal verdict against Nika Gvaramia is not substantiated, it is a case of imposing criminal liability for corporate actions, and the political motive in the case outweighs the interest of justice.
As stated in the conclusion, regarding the so-called 'episode of advertisements', the Public Defender of Georgia, applied to the Tbilisi City Court in 2019, in which they noted that a business decision similar to Nika Gvaramia's accusation cannot lead to not only criminal, but also corporate liability.
Due to the essential shortcomings of justice, the Public Defender applied to the President of Georgia for the purpose of using the power of pardon.
