Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze, who was convicted in the infamous cyanide case, has been released from prison after serving a seven-year sentence. The news of his release was confirmed by his brother and lawyer at the end of the day on February 14.
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According to attorney Giorgi Phantsulaia, the deacon was granted release based on a decision by the commission of the so-called “Udo” Commission.
“He was sentenced to nine years, of which he served seven, with two remaining. We had applied to the Udo Commission. The struggle never ceased. I assure everyone that my brother will establish his innocence,” stated Tornike Mamaladze.
Tornike Mamaladze further revealed that his brother has been paralyzed for five years, unable to move independently, and requires ongoing medical treatment.
Recently, the Mtavari Arkhi TV company obtained and released a document indicating that Shorena Tetruashvili, the secretary of the Catholicos-Patriarch and a key figure in the cyanide case, withdrew her complaint against the deacon and agreed to a change in her sentence to house arrest. The document dates back to October 17, 2022.
Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze was arrested at Tbilisi International Airport on February 10, 2017. In September of the same year, he was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison for plotting the murder of Shorena Tetruashvili and for illegal possession of weapons.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation into Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze was initiated on February 2, 2017, following a statement from journalist Irakli Mamaladze. The journalist reported that Mamaladze had sought assistance in obtaining a lethal poison – cyanide allegedly intended for use in an assassination plot targeting a high-ranking clergyman. Although the identity of the intended victim was not initially disclosed, it later emerged that the accusation centered on the secretary of the patriarch.
Despite the guilty verdict upheld by the appeals court and the rejection of the cassation appeal by the Supreme Court, the case has been referred to the European Court of Human Rights.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze maintained his innocence.
The trials related to the cyanide case were conducted behind closed doors. Former Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili expressed concerns about the lack of justice in the case following the verdict.
