Iveri Melashvili and Natalia Ilychova, indictees in the Davit Gareji Monastery Complex case, were released on bail. The judge recently announced that the bail was set at GEL 20,000 for each defendant.

The prosecution requested bail of GEL 30,000, however, the judge granted an amended request for bail. The court also granted the prosecutor’s motion for the defendants’ dismissal from office.

The prosecution demanded indictees, Iveri Melashvili and Natalia Ilychova, be prohibited from crossing the state border and dismissed from their offices. Iveri Melashvili disagreed with the motion for firing him and Natalia Ilychova from office.

As for the defense, the lawyers request release on bond. The lawyers named Batu Kutelia, Nino Goguadze, Elene Khoshtaria, Khatia Dekanoidze, and Saba Buadze among guarantors.

A rally is being held in front of the Tbilisi City Court simultaneously with the court hearing. Citizens and representatives of various political parties participate.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia launched a probe against Iveri Melashvili, Head of the Service of Georgian State Border Delimitation, Demarcation and Border Relations of the Department of Neighboring Countries at the Foreign Ministry, and Natalia Ilychova, Chief Inspector of the Land Border Defense Department of the Border Police last year. POG accused them of conspiring to cede lands to Azerbaijan.

POG Investigation found that Melashvili and Ilychova hid the 1938 map and used the 1970-80s maps instead. As a result, Georgia lost 3,500 hectares of land. The hidden 1937-1938 original map was found in Natalia Ilichova’s office, POG noted. Both defendants face imprisonment from ten to fifteen years.