Georgian Court Orders Detention of Former Defense Minister

The Tbilisi City Court has ordered the pretrial detention of former Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia.

The decision was announced by Judge Mea Melkadze following a court hearing that was held behind closed doors, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

Akhalaia is accused of organizing an assault on the presidential palace in Tbilisi on October 4 of this year. Investigators allege that he acted as the main organizer of the attempted attack.

The former minister was detained on December 25 at his apartment in Tbilisi by officers of the State Security Service of Georgia, the report said.