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Friday, 08 December , 2023
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Rati Bregadze Speaks About Successful Cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Assembly of Member States

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze's official visit to the USA began today. The Minister made a speech at the assembly.

"Fifteen years have passed since the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, as a result of which Georgian civilians and military personnel became victims of brutal crimes committed against them. We have achieved tangible results through intensive cooperation with the ICC Prosecutor's Office. In particular, on June 30, 2022, the Hague Court issued an arrest warrant against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region for the crimes committed against the population of Georgia during the August war, and identified the responsibility of the Russian Major General. On December 16, 2022, the ICC prosecutor completed the investigation in the August war without revealing violations of international law norms or any other kind of misconduct on the part of Georgia," noted Rati Bregadze.

According to the Minister, there is high expectation in Georgia that the issued arrest warrants will be promptly executed.

The Minister of Justice emphasized the importance of the ICC's activities in the issue of the rule of law and the protection of victims and expressed his unwavering support for future cooperation with the court.

On December 4-14 of this year, the Assembly of States Parties to the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is being held in New York, in which the Georgian delegation is also taking part.

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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.