The Orenburg Regional Court has begun hearing the state prosecution's appeal in the 6-million-ruble bribe case involving former senator Rauf Arashukov. The prosecution is seeking to increase the fine for the former official, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, from 120 million to 420 million rubles.
Activist Tamara Mearakishvili filed a cassation appeal against the Tskhinvali City Court's decision to deport her to Georgia. In the appeal, she challenges the legality and validity of the court's decision, alleging a violation of her constitutional rights. Mearakishvili emphasizes that she has been a citizen of South Ossetia since 2013, having previously renounced her Georgian citizenship.
According to the complaint, the court should have proven Mearakishvili's Georgian citizenship, declared her receipt of a South Ossetian passport illegal, and terminated it before imposing administrative expulsion.
Mearakishvili claims that the court failed to consider the termination of her citizenship and immediately ordered her deportation with a fine, which she believes is illegal.
As a reminder, on December 24, the Tskhinvali City Court remanded Mearakishvili in custody. She had previously been charged with espionage for Georgia, which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years. Mearakishvili was later released from pretrial detention and handed over to the Georgian authorities. Prior to her arrest, she had repeatedly criticized the South Ossetian authorities and demanded a meeting with President Alan Gagloev.