Tbilisi city court sentenced the leader of the «Victorious Georgia» party, Irakli Okruashvili, to five years in prison for participating in riot protests in Tbilisi on June 20-21, 2019.
Okruashvili was detained on July 25, 2019. Initially, he was charged with organizing, leading and participating in violent acts during the assault on the Georgian parliament on June 20-21, 2019. As regards the organization of violent acts, the court cleared chargers.
In addition to the rally on June 20-21, Irakli Okruashvili was charged with the murder of 19-year-old Amiran (Buta) Robakidze in 2004. Investigation of this case continues.
Irakli Okruashvili began his political career as governor of the region, Shida Kartli. From January 2004 he was the Prosecutor General of Georgia for six months, the Minister of the Interior for the next six months, and from 2004-2006. — Minister of Defense of Georgia.
Since November 2006, he has been dismissed from his post of Minister of Defense and appointed by the head of the Ministry of Economic Development. However, he soon resigned due to a divergence of views with the ruling elite.
On September 27, 2007, he was taken into custody after a series of charges against the then President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili but was released from prison after public repentance.
This is the first sentence that was issued during the state of emergency and the transition of the court to the remote method of work.