Garibashvili reported torture at the first court session in the corruption case.

The Tbilisi City Court began substantive hearings in the case of former Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, accused of a corruption crime. Garibashvili himself attended the session for the first time, stating that he had been subjected to torture.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", at the end of October, the case of former Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, accused of receiving a bribe in a particularly large amount, was transferred to court.

In the courtroom were family members of the former prime minister, including his son, as well as his wife Nunuka Tamazashvili, her brother Aleksandre Tamazashvili, and Garibashvili's uncle Zurab Gonasvili. Former Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze was also present. He is the only high-ranking official from the "Georgian Dream" who attended the trial, according to Interpressnews.

The trials of the former prime minister will be held in closed sessions. The prosecution made the corresponding motion in court, and Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili granted it. According to the prosecutor Ani Lekiaashvili's motion, the case is related to the Ministry of Defense, and current and former officials will be questioned at the hearings, during which secrets of professional and state significance may be revealed.

During the court hearing, Irakli Garibashvili stated that he had been subjected to psychological and moral torture before the investigation into the case began, aimed at forcing him to confess to future charges of receiving a bribe, said the former official's lawyer Soso Barataashvili after the trial.

According to Soso Barataashvili, the relevant investigative body should initiate an investigation into the fact of torture against his client.

"Today he did not name any names, but during the investigation, he will certainly name the person from whom the proposal came and clarify all the details to the investigation. When a proposal is made to confess to a crime that carries up to 15 years of imprisonment, and it comes from a competent, authorized official, then this is the definition of the article that includes torture," the lawyer stated.

According to Barataashvili, closing the court session serves to prevent the public from learning about the unfounded nature of the accusation and the details of the case.

"The closure of the session contradicts the legislation of Georgia, was not justified by the prosecution in any way, and serves to prevent society from knowing about the unfounded nature of the accusation and the details of this case. The case is politicized, and the accusation is completely unfounded," he stated.

The lawyer emphasized that this case is entirely based on another case - the case against Djuansher Burchuladze, Vasil Mkheidze, and others, which was not conducted in a closed manner, and the verdict was not closed. "Of course, we consider this a huge injustice. We will take countermeasures. We will notify everyone necessary and use all this in the appropriate instances," the defender stated.

It should be noted that the article under which Garibashvili is accused provides for imprisonment for a term of 11 to 15 years.

On January 12 of this year, former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was sentenced to five years in prison. Garibashvili entered into a procedural agreement and confessed to guilt. In April, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced former Minister of Defense Djuansher Burchuladze to 10 years in prison for corruption and money laundering.