Court of Appeals Upholds Ruling on High-Profile Murder Case

The Court of Appeals upheld the 8 and 7-year prison sentences imposed on Gia Alania and three other former police officers, respectively, by a lower court for inflicting injuries that resulted in 28-year-old Sandro Girgvliani?s death in February, 2006.

In July 2006 the Tbilisi City Court found Gia Alania, ex-chief of the first unit of the Interior Ministry?s Department for Constitutional Security (DCS), guilty and sentenced him to an eight-year prison term. Three other officers from the same department were jailed for seven years each.

But the case went into the upper court because prosecutor?s wanted to increase the sentences by one year, while defense lawyers were seeking the ex-police officers? release. The lawyer of the Girgvliani family, which is represented in the trial as a separate side, used the court hearings to confirm their allegations about the involvement of other former high-level Interior Ministry officials in this high-profile murder case.
 
But during the trial on December 8, a judge from the Court of Appeals threw out the attempt by Girgvliani family?s lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze to convince the court to consider some evidence that, according to Shavgulidze, was ignored during the City Court trial.

Shavgulidze said the City Court and the Court of Appeals have both refused to study additional evidence that could have revealed the involvement of other former officials.

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