Former Interior Minister Merabishvili Released from Custody

Former Interior Minister of Georgia Vano Merabishvili was released from the penitentiary facility this morning having spent almost seven years there.

On February 17, 2014, the former Interior Minister was sentenced to imprisonment after being found guilty of the brutal dispersal of the May 26 rally, hiding of evidence in the Sandro Girgvliani case, voter bribery, and physical abuse of the opposition MP Valeri Gelashvili. He was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison.

Merabishvili denied all charges, saying they were politically motivated. The opposition claimed his imprisonment was a ‘witch hunt’ against the former government.

Merabishvili was one of the most influential figures of the United National Movement.

The trial regarding the November 7 rally crackdown and the raid on Imedi TV is still ongoing against him. He is accused of abuse of power in these cases.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: Former Interior Minister to Leave Prison on February 20