Tbilisi City Court has decided to keep journalist Nikusha Katsia in pre-trial detension. Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili ruled to keep Katsia, who is facing serious drug-related charges, in custody after a hearing on the review regarding his detention.
Katsia, who was arrested on December 7, is accused of possessing 14 grams of cocaine. He is charged under Article 260, Part 6 of Georgia’s Criminal Code which deals with the illegal possession of a large quantity of narcotics, an offense that is typically punished by 8 to 20 years, or even life, in prison.
Led by Nugzar Chitadze, the prosecution argued there were no new developments to warrant changing the preventive measure. “There remains a risk of the accused fleeing or committing a new offense,” Chitadze told the court.
Katsia’s defense lawyer, Nina Lominadze, strongly opposed the decision, saying that “there is no risk of flight or repeat offense,” and called for her client’s release.
The journalist has denied all allegations and claims the charges are motivated by his political views, linking his arrest to his visible participation in anti-government protests.
