The Ministry of Justice has released a statement regarding the launch of hearings of the lawsuits of Mikheil Saakashvili, Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulava in the Strasbourg court.

“The Ministry of Justice clarifies the procedures regarding the ongoing cases in the European Court of Human Rights, in which Mikheil Saakashvili, Nikanor Melia and Gigi Ugulava are suing Georgia. All 3 cases are at the initial stage of consideration and now the parties are beginning to present positions and evidence.

The Government has solid arguments in these cases, which will be presented in the European court. The cases of all 3 applicants are being heard by the Strasbourg court under the standard procedure, which means that the court will receive two written position respectively from the applicants and the Government with evidence and make a decision based on that. The exchange of positions by the parties and the decision of the court will take at least 2 years.

As of 2021, the Strasbourg court has to hear 64,850 cases. The number of complaints against Georgia has sharply decreased in recent years. In particular, according to statistics, 3045 cases were filed against Georgia in the European Court of Human Rights by 2011, and at the end of 2020, the European Court has only 532 cases against Georgia to consider”, - reads the statement.

The Ministry added that Mikheil Saakashvili argues that the court’s verdict over the Sandro Girgvliani murder case contradicts European Convention. The Tbilisi City Court has found Saakashvili guilty in the murder case of Girgvliani. On top of that, he claims that the court’s decision to jail him for 6 years for ordering the beating of MP Valeri Gelashvili goes against the convention.

Nika Melia believes his pre-trial detention in February for removing the monitoring bracelet and rebuffing bail pay opposes European Convention.

Gigi Ugulava’s complaint filed with the ECHR disputed all ongoing and completed criminal cases instituted against him in Georgia, including those that accuse him of misappropriation of state property, excessive use of power, and violence.