Press Release: Lawyers for George Bachiashvili Denounce Verdict as “Illegitimate Judicial Vandalism”

The following press release was distributed to global media today:

WASHINGTON DC, March 10, 2025 – Lawyers representing Georgian entrepreneur George Bachiashvili have denounced today’s ruling by the Tbilisi City Court, which sentenced Bachiashvili in absentia to 11 years in prison.

“We react with horror but not surprise to this decision,” said international lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who represents Bachiashvili. “It is a ruling born of corruption and antagonism to even the most basic standards of due process, rule of law, and human rights. It is a decision that could only have come from a system led by sanctioned gangsters parading as judges, acting under the orders of the sanctioned oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.”

Amsterdam continued: “The irregularities and instances of incoherence in this case are too abundant to list in a single statement. The claim should have been civil, not criminal, the verdict based on perjured testimony and zero documentary evidence, in fact, the only documentary evidence – the loan agreement – contradicts the judge’s decision.”

The court’s decision comes after a trial that international observers have criticized for procedural irregularities and lack of grounds. Transparency International Georgia issued an independent assessment of the court’s handling of the Bachiashvili case. The Transparency report states: “the charges against Giorgi Bachashvili are devoid of both legal and factual grounds (…) there is no totality of clear, convincing, mutually consistent and sufficient evidence in the case file which would allow any independent and impartial tribunal to convict Bachiashvili.”

Amsterdam underscores his claim that the process was driven by the interests of a single individual: “The pursuit by Bidzina Ivanishvili of my client mixes political motives with personal vendettas in a confection that disgusts all who sample its wares.”

Amsterdam announced plans to appeal the verdict to higher Georgian courts and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Additionally, his legal team will be considering the filing of complaints with international bodies seeking further sanctions against individuals involved in what he calls “illegitimate judicial vandalism.”

More information about Bachiashvili and this case can be downloaded at www.bidzinaslaw.com. Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm with offices in London and Washington DC. More information is available at www.amsterdamandpartners.com.

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