Tbilisi city court has sent a Russian citizen, activist Anton Chechin in custody on Monday. Anton Chechin will now be produced before judge on February 7.
Anton Chechin has been arrested by Georgian authorities under one of strictest provision of Georgia. The authorities have imposed article 260 paragraph 6, section A of criminal code of Georgia.
Judge Davit Mgeliashvili of city court of Tbilisi has remanded Russian citizen Anton Chechin in custody. The article imposed against him deals with possession of large-scale drugs and he can be sentenced up to eight years jail term if found guilty.
On the other hand, Anton Chechin rejected all allegation imposed against him as false. According to him his arrest is linked to his participation in anti-government protests.
Anton Chechin also wrote a letter from jail and stated, “I came to Georgia and supporting rights of Ukrainian resisting Russian invasion as well fighting against illegal occupation of Georgian land by Russia. However, when I began to attend anti-government protests against foreign agent law authorities booked me on administrative grounds.”
He also alleged that he was booked by authorities under criminal changed of illegal, drugs possession as well. His defence cousin while arguing on his behalf said, Anton Chechin have been arrested without following due process of law.
Moreover, his lawyer also objected authenticity of Shorena Tabatadze, a translator and supposedly neutral witness during the police search because she cannot be called independent witness and is working with internal affairs ministry.
While demanding his bail along with his immediate release from pre-trial detention said, Chechin is being mistreated by violating all procedural requirement. However, judge on the other hand rejected all his pleas and remanded him to custody till February 6, 2025.
He was arrested on November 18 last year first time and forced to stop attending anti-government protests across the country. He was arrested second time on December 3 last year but this time criminal charges were imposed against him.
His wife on the other hand claimed that he never consumed any kind of drugs. She also alleged police for planting drugs for his participation in anti-government protests.
