Two more individuals detained in connection with the death of Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava have been placed in pre-trial detention as a preventive measure. At today’s hearing, the judge granted the motion filed by the prosecution, which demanded the remand in custody of Saba Bochorishvili and Givi Gudadze.
The defense attorneys asked the court to apply a more lenient preventive measure, specifically requesting release on bail in the amount of 20,000 GEL (approximately $7,500). However, the court rejected the request.
Both defendants are currently serving suspended sentences. According to the prosecutor, there are risks of them continuing their criminal activities, fleeing, or destroying evidence. Prosecutor Mariam Koridze stated that the case involves drug-related offenses and noted that the defendants themselves consume prohibited substances. In addition, the prosecutor pointed to a covert video recording in which, according to her, the defendants describe their actions in detail.
Prosecutor David Kazarashvili noted that the defendants themselves admit to having kept part of the drugs for their own use while passing another portion to individuals who subsequently fell ill, leading to one fatality. According to his information, Bochorishvili was hospitalized after taking the substance, while Gudadze suffered seizures.
“Neither of them did what they should have done, especially considering they referred to the deceased as a friend. Particularly against the background of having consumed the narcotic substance themselves and feeling ill, they could have called those to whom they had passed the drugs and warned them.
All of this speaks volumes about their attitude toward what they did. They both consumed drugs and distributed them to others. If released, they could pose a threat to the lives of other people,” the attorney stated.
Earlier, another suspect in the case—Ukrainian citizen Valeriya Kirlyuk—was detained on charges of leaving Daur Buava in danger. She was also remanded in custody as a preventive measure.
According to investigators, Buava and the accused Kirilyuk consumed methadone supplied to them by Givi Gudadze. During a search of Gudadze’s residence, law enforcement officers seized a particularly large quantity of the substance—6.27 grams of methadone, packaged in 9 sachets intended to facilitate distribution.
As for Saba Bochorishvili, he illegally acquired and kept 0.24 grams of dried marijuana at his place of residence.
Givi Gudadze has been charged under Subparagraph “a” of Part 3 of Article 260, Subparagraph “a” of Part 6 of Article 260-4, and Part 7 of Article 260-2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic drugs in a particularly large quantity, facilitation of distribution, and illegal transfer of narcotic drugs). These articles carry a penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
Saba Bochorishvili has been charged under Article 273 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic drugs in small quantities by a person with a prior drug-related criminal record), which carries a penalty of up to one year of imprisonment.