Tbilisi court of appeal confirmed ruling on Alexander Baranov and Alexander Zavgorodniy

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Tbilisi court of appeal confirmed ruling of Tbilisi municipal court on the two Russian army officers: lieutenant colonel Alexander Baranov and captain II rank Alexander Zavgorodniy, as well as on three citizens of Georgia. They are sentenced to two months of jail, as REGNUM has informed.

Public interest attorneys were allowed to attend the court sitting. Attorney hired by the Embassy of Russia to Georgia was not, however, permitted to the sitting, for the court session was announced to be closed due to the secrecy of court evidence. Representative of the Russian diplomatic mission present in the court building protested the ruling.

It was later reported that Georgian officials allowed the Russian-hired attorney to the court session. According to Georgian legislation, only lawyers with Georgian citizenship can work in a court. According to the Russian Embassy to Georgia information, the private attorney who earlier was denied access to the court materials due to their state importance and secrecy, has gone through the required official procedures and started to study the case materials.