Zugdidi Regional Court has reportedly sentenced a police officer convicted of raping a young man to imprisonment.
The judge rendered the verdict after fully approving the prosecutor's motion; however, the defendant's lawyer Soso Jalaghonia disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal against it in the Court of Appeals.
The victim's interests are being pursued by the Young Lawyers Association.
The court trial was eventually closed, with the verdict being rendered on the basis of the motion by the parties. At the session, prosecutor Davit Papava declared that since this is a sexual assault case, closure of the session is in the best interests of the victim and, hence, a proper move.
The defendant's lawyer also approved his motion by declaring that different media outlets may disseminate misinformation to the public.
A police officer serving at a Chkhorutsku village police station, who was accused of rape by the young man, was detained on Dec 5 on the basis of the court order.
The investigation into the case is underway, with the offender facing rape charges and being under threat of receiving a jail sentence from 6 to 8 years.
The defendant has refused to plead guilty.
