Court of Appeals upheld on August 11 prison sentence for ex-interior minister Vano Merabishvili on charges of exceeding official powers in case related to break up of protest rally in Tbilisi in May, 2011.

Merabishvili’s defense lawyers said the ruling would be appealed to supreme court.

Tbilisi City Court sentenced Merabishvili in February, 2014 to 4 years and 6 months in jail; nine months spent by Merabishvili in pre-trial detention prior to the verdict was announced on February 27 was made part of the punishment.

Also in February, Merabishvili was sentenced in two separate cases by the Kutaisi City Court to five years in jail on charges of misspending and bribing of voters while serving as Prime Minister in 2012, and infringement of inviolability of property rights while serving as interior minister.

Merabishvili is also standing trial over separate charges of exceeding official authorities while serving as interior minister and is also a co-accused in two separate cases with ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.