Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of Georgia, will be appointed a public defender in the “sabotage” case. Consequently, the court hearing scheduled for June 24 has been canceled.
The decision was made by Judge Tamar Makharablidze, who expelled Saakashvili’s lawyer, Beka Basilaia, from the courtroom.
Lawyer Dimitri Sadzaglishvili stated that the conflict arose when Basilaia asked the judge for permission to leave the courtroom for a few minutes. The judge denied his request and subsequently expelled him from the courtroom, citing contempt of court.
Sadzaglishvili stated that he considers the judge’s actions to be a demonstration of bias against the defense.
“We are not allowed to fully question witnesses, and our questions are being dismissed. Furthermore, the judge treats the defense with disdain. Meanwhile, she treats the prosecution completely differently, showing respect only to them…” he stated.