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Wednesday, 05 July , 2023
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Ministries of Justice of Georgia and Hungary Sign a Joint Declaration

The document was signed by the Ministers of Justice of the two countries, Rati Bregadze and Judit Varga. The joint declaration is a logical continuation of the close and rapid cooperation between the Ministers of Justice of Georgia and Hungary, which began in 2021 within the framework of the Ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe held in Venice. The purpose of the declaration is to share knowledge, experience and best practices on specific thematic issues in the field of justice between the two states, as well as to prepare for the interstate meeting planned for October of this year.

It should be noted that partnership relations and cooperation between Georgia and Hungary are being successfully carried out by the initiative and efforts of the heads of government of the two countries. Before signing the document, Rati Bregadze and Judit Varga held a meeting where they discussed the importance of Georgia's integration into the European Union and the support of partner states in this process.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Ministers of Justice of Georgia, Heads of the Ministry of Justice of Hungary, Ambassador of Hungary to Georgia, Anna Siko.

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Strasbourg Court Confirms Davit Kezerashvili’s Guilt in Embezzling Georgian Army Funds, Rejects Claims of Political Persecution

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has issued its decision in the case of Davit Kezerashvili v. Georgia. At a briefing, Justice Minister Anri Okhanashvili discussed the ruling, which upheld the verdict against Kezerashvili.

“The Court concluded that, while serving as Defense Minister shortly before the August 2008 war, Davit Kezerashvili embezzled €5,060,000 (approximately 15 million GEL at today's exchange rate) intended for the Georgian army. It also determined there was no political persecution involved in his prosecution. The Supreme Court of Georgia's verdict finding Kezerashvili guilty was deemed well-founded, and no violation of the presumption of innocence was found,” Okhanashvili stated.

Okhanashvili outlined the fraudulent activities carried out by Kezerashvili:

"During his tenure as Defense Minister, Kezerashvili unlawfully signed a fictitious agreement with an offshore company in a single day to provide combat training for the Georgian army. This agreement bypassed the General Staff of the Defense Forces. In reality, no training occurred, and the €5,060,000 allocated for the Georgian army was deliberately misappropriated."

Anri Okhanashvili emphasized that the Court also dismissed Kezerashvili’s demand for €15,000 in moral damages. Kezerashvili, who enriched himself by defrauding the Georgian army, sought additional compensation for moral damage. The Strasbourg Court firmly rejected this claim. It confirmed the seriousness of Kezerashvili’s crime and upheld the Supreme Court of Georgia's ruling as lawful.

The Justice Minister congratulated the Georgian state and armed forces on their success in the European Court and acknowledged those who defended Georgia’s interests:


“I congratulate the Georgian state, army, and people on this significant victory. I extend my gratitude to the Ministry of Justice staff and the Prosecutor’s Office for their dedicated work. We now look forward to seeing how our European partners, particularly those who previously characterized Kezerashvili as a media advocate, respond to this decision affirming his guilt,” Okhanashvili remarked.