Additional charges filed against former Georgian prime minister
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 May 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Additional charges filed against former Georgian prime minister, 29 May 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51b087f518.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 29, 2013
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili
TBILISI – New charges have been filed against Georgia's former prime minister.
The Prosecutor-General's Office announced that Ivane Merabishvili was charged with exceeding his powers during a rally in downtown Tbilisi in May 2011.
Merabishvili, who is secretary-general of President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (ENM), was arrested last week and charged with abuse of power, embezzlement, and bribing of voters.
On May 28, Merabishvili's supporters rallied in several towns demanding his immediate release, while the ENM group in parliament boycotted the parliamentary session.
Several associates of Saakashvili have been arrested and charged with wrongdoings since Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream coalition won parliamentary elections in October.
Western officials have called on Ivanishvili's government to refrain from politically motivated trials.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
