On 30 July, the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua was found guilty for the illegal possession and carrying of firearms. He was sentenced to four years in prison by Tbilisi City Court, reported agenda.ge. 

Rurua stated that he is a political prisoner following the conviction. His lawyer told the media that he was expecting “an unfair verdict,” adding that he will appeal the court’s decision

Georgia's Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia responded to the verdict, stating that if someone commits a crime, he must be held accountable. It does not matter whether he owns a television or the opposition views him as a political prisoner. He added that the Georgian justice system ‘is transparent’ and the government never interferes in the court’s issues. 

Twenty Georgian opposition parties released a joint statement saying that Rurua’s conviction had political grounds. “The 8 March agreement would have seen the release of Rurua and said that detentions on political grounds are unacceptable. Rurua’s conviction is the political decision of Bidzina Ivanishvili (the head and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party) and shows the… judiciary’s [obedience] to the ruling party,” read the statement. The opposition parties also said that Rurua’s release would decrease the threats of tension during the ‘complicated election campaign’ for the state. 

Rurua’s conviction also raised concerns in the international community. “I remain concerned about the sentencing of Giorgi Rurua on spurious charges in Georgia- a legal system should never be used to fulfil political aims. President Zourabichvili should pardon Rurua in the interest of depolarizing the political climate as elections near,” tweeted the chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations committee James Risch. A similar tweet was also posted by the EU parliamentarian Anna Fotyga.