Tedo Abramovi

Apprehended

Tortured

Violence

Prisoner

T. Abramovi

Tedo
Abramovi

Tedo Abramov, a 22-year-old Georgian boxer and athlete, has found himself at the center of a controversial legal battle after his arrest on December 7, 2024. Abramov, who had recently returned to Georgia after training in several European countries, was detained by police as he left his home, allegedly en route to a pro-European Union protest in Tbilisi.

«If I hadn't signed, physical abuse would have been carried out against me. »

According to the prosecution, a search of Abramov's person revealed approximately 5 grams of MDMA, a "club drug," concealed in his jacket pocket. This quantity of narcotics is considered a particularly large amount under Georgian law, and Abramov now faces charges that could result in 8 to 20 years, or even a life sentence, if convicted.

Abramov's defense team has raised serious concerns about the legality of his arrest and the conduct of the police. They argue that the search was conducted without any neutral witnesses present, and no video evidence of the search exists. Abramov himself alleges that he was subjected to inhumane treatment and verbal abuse during his arrest.

«Abramov says that the drug is not his, he will fight to the end and achieve the truth," says Gocha Jabanashvili, the lawyer»
—Gocha Jabanashvili, the lawyer

In court, Judge Lela Kalichenko ordered Abramov to remain in pre-trial detention, accepting the prosecution's argument that he posed a flight risk due to his past residency in Greece and his parents' emigration. The defense's request for bail was denied. The court also heard that Abramov was under the control of 15 police officers, and that he was threatened with physical violence if he did not sign the search documents. The Prosecutor Nugzar Chitadze said that the search was conducted based on confidential information that Abramov was in the possession of drugs, and that the search was conducted because he would have had time to dispose of the drugs.

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Several aspects of Abramov's case have drawn criticism:

Lack of Neutral Witnesses: The absence of independent witnesses to the search raises questions about the validity of the evidence.
No Video Evidence: The failure to record the search, despite the presence of numerous officers, is a significant point of contention.
Confidential Source: The prosecution's reliance on a confidential source, without providing further details, has been questioned.
Lack of Motive: The prosecution has not established a clear motive for Abramov's alleged possession of narcotics.
Narcoligical Expert evaluation: A narcoligical expert evaluation has concluded that Abramov was not under the influence of narcotics at the time of arrest. Defense is also waiting for DNA and finger print testing.
Missing evidence: The Defence claims that Abramov was carrying a Georgian flag and other items related to the protest, but these items were not logged as evidence.
Allegations of coercion: Abramov alleges that he was coerced into signing documentation of the search.

Abramov and his defense team maintain his innocence, claiming that the narcotics were not his. They suggest that his arrest may be politically motivated, stemming from his active participation in pro-EU demonstrations. While the prosecutor denies any connection between the drug charges and Abramov's activism, the lack of concrete evidence and the alleged irregularities in his arrest have fueled suspicions.