Sopiko Nikolashvili Cast Lawyer Mamuka Nozadze Away

According to the exclusive information of the ICK, accused of the attempted premeditated murder and illegal carriage of gun, journalist Sopiko Nikolashvili cast away one of her attorneys Mamuka Nozadze.

Maguli Gvaladze, second lawyer of the accused, told the ICK that Sopiko Nikolashvili pleaded guilty in the accusations.

“I am still her attorney. I cannot explain why she cast Mamuka Nozadze away. It was her decision. My several conversations with the detainee convinced me that the accusation had no political grounds. Sopiko Nikolashvili pleaded guilty in the crime,” Maguli Gvaladze said.

ICK tried to get in touch with Mamuka Nozadze but he did not answer phone calls. The father of the detainee Davit Nikolashvili did not answer the phone calls either.

Gurjaani district MIA office detained former journalist of the newspaper Kakhetis Khma Sopiko Nikolashvili, 20, on January 31, 2012. The prosecutor’s office blamed her in the attempted premeditated murder of Giorgi Sibashvili, 23, and illegal carriage of guns. The court sentenced Sopiko Nikolashvili to imprisonment. She is in Rustavi prison.

Sopiko Nikolashvili is daughter of Davit Nikolashvili, supporter of the Georgian Dream. Giorgi Sibashvili is inspector-investigator at the Kakheti region MIA department. His father Gocha Sibashvili is deputy head of Gurjaani district MIA office and his uncle Giorgi Sibashvili is Kakheti region deputy governor.

In her initial testimony to the investigation, Sopiko Nikolashvili said she loved Giorgi Sibashvili. According to her, on November 2, 2011 Sibashvili raped her. Afterwards, she decided to revenge Sibashvili and kill him. On January 31, 2012 Sopiko Nikolashvili stole a gun from her father’s safe and tried to kill Sibashvili.

On the other hand, the victim of the case materials said in his testimony that he had not had sexual intercourse with Nikolashvili; the latter was asking him to marry her but he refused. Sibashvili claims he seized gun from Sopiko Nikolashvili during the incident and then took her to police station.

Gurjaani district police was investigating the case. After lawyer Mamuka Nozadze petitioned to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office several times and requested to respond to violations in the case, the Kakheti regional prosecutor’s office was put in charge of the investigation. Based on Nozadze’s request, the prosecutor’s office repeatedly interrogated Nikolashvili on February 24. The lawyer said Sopiko Nikolashvili said Giorgi Sibashvili had raped her, took her photos and blackmailed her with publishing the photos unless she continued sexual intercourse with him and informing him about his father’s activities; the lawyer added that Sibashvili had demanded the accused to steal the gun from the house, then he fired it and afterwards he arrested Nikolashvili. Additionally, Nozadze requested to suspend professional activities of Giorgi and Gocha Sibashvilis.

On February 23, the lawyer Mamuka Nozadze spread statement with regard to Nikolashvili’s case. He requested journalists, public defender, MPs and civil and political organizations to monitor the case investigation and respond to all violations.

The preliminary trial on Nikolashvili’s case is cheduled at 1:00 pm on March 9 at the Gurjaani district court. Judge Davit Narimanishvili is engaged on the case. If the charge is proved, Sopiko Nikolashvili faces imprisonment from 7 to 18 years. However, according to the spread information, she will be released.