Tbilisi: A plea agreement has been reached in the criminal case of former Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, APA’s local bureau reports.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the Tbilisi Court of Appeals decided to reduce Burchuladze’s prison sentence to five years. Under the terms of the agreement, he will serve three years in a penitentiary institution, with the remaining two years suspended, resulting in his release in two years.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates that Burchuladze must pay a fine of 1 million lari, and various properties have been confiscated by the state. His relative, Vasil Mkheidze, and former deputy, Giorgi Khaindrava, who were involved in the case and initially sentenced to eight years, will be released at the end of this month.
Juansher Burchuladze was detained on September 11 last year, charged with abuse of official authority and the legalization of illegal income. In April, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced him to 10 years. Burchuladze served as Georgia’s Defense Minister from 2021 to 2024.