"He is not a specialist" - the judge did not grant the motion to question Bregadze

Mikhail Saakashvili's defense filed a petition with the Tbilisi City Court for the removal of witnesses: American lawyer Massimo DiAngelo, Vivamed doctor, Nino Nadiradze, Zurab Chkhaidze, Tamar Davarashvili, Teimuraz Mkhmudov, Zurab Vanishvili, and witnesses Nino Burjanadze, Irakli Okroashvili. The defense filed a motion for the removal of all the witnesses except for Malkhaz Urtmelidze.

The judge granted the motion.

Today Shalva Khachapuridze has filed another application, namely the application for questioning Justice Minister Rati Bregadze as a witness. According to the lawyer, the reason for the petition was the public statements of the Ministry of Justice.

"The Minister of Justice must testify what evidence he relies on when he alleges that Mikheil Saakashvili is engaged in self-harm and wants to commit suicide in this way. He must also explain to the court whether the convicted person has the right to commit suicide. And if this circumstance is known to the system of the Ministry of Justice and the medical clinic "Vivamed" staff, is it the promotion of suicide? a crime under Article 115 of the Civil Code? Because the systematic abuse, insulting and humiliating of the convicts by the representatives of the law enforcement bodies is the embodies the mentioned crime," said Khachapuridze.

Khachapuridze says that when he interrogates Bregadze, he has to find out what evidence Bregadze relies on when making uncontrolled and unbalanced statements. He must also say why the system under his authority, the Penitentiary Service, is not treating Mikheil Saakashvili properly.

Judge Giorgi Arevadze did not grant Justice Minister Rati Bregadze's motion. Arevadze said that a political figure making statements to the press cannot be a witness in this particular case.

"You want me to bring the Minister of Justice, wag my finger, scold him... The court is also responsible for the timely consideration of the case and it will take us time to question all the additional employees, especially since he is not a specialist, an expert and cannot provide us with information on the state of health of the convict," - Arevadze said.

It should be recalled that the trial on the case of postponing the execution of Mikheil Saakashvili's sentence or exemption from punishment is currently going on in the Tbilisi City Court. Mikheil Saakashvili is unable to attend the trial remotely due to his serious health condition.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)