Journalist Nika Katsia, who faced drug-related charges, was acquitted by Tbilisi City Court and released from the courtroom following a ruling by Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili.
At today’s hearing, Judge Mchedlishvili delivered a detailed explanation of the verdict, noting that all doubts in the case had to be resolved in favor of the defendant. She pointed to inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence, the absence of neutral witnesses, and the lack of video documentation during the personal search as key factors raising doubts about the reliability of the case against Katsia.
The judge emphasized that while Katsia had signed the search protocol, his claim that he did so under stress without fully understanding the document could not be dismissed. “Once again, and a thousand times over, I note that doubts remain as to whether law enforcement could have ensured the presence of a neutral witness or conducted video recording. Since this was not done, the benefit of the doubt must go to the defendant,” Mchedlishvili stated.
Addressing Katsia directly, the judge added: “Next time, read carefully what you are signing.”
Katsia was detained on December 7 and charged under Article 260, Part 6 of the Criminal Code for alleged possession of a large quantity of narcotics—a crime carrying a potential sentence of 8 to 20 years or life imprisonment.
Image: IPN
