Elizbarashvili was sentenced to a suspended sentence.

Entrepreneur Tamaz Elizbarashvili, arrested in Tbilisi due to a conflict with employees of a pro-government television channel, was sentenced to a suspended sentence and a fine after reaching an agreement with the investigation. He was released in the courtroom.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", entrepreneur and animal rights activist Tamaz Elizbarashvili was detained on September 1. He claimed he was being persecuted by the authorities after a conflict with employees of a pro-government television channel. On September 3, 60-year-old Tamaz Elizbarashvili was charged with making threats of murder or causing bodily harm (part 1 of article 151 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for up to one year in prison), and on September 4, the Tbilisi City Court ordered his arrest. The appellate court upheld the arrest decision.

The Tbilisi City Court today approved the procedural agreement reached between Tamaz Elizbarashvili and the prosecution, reports "Interpressnews".

According to the procedural agreement, Elizbarashvili was found guilty and sentenced to nine months of imprisonment conditionally with a probation period of one year. In addition, he was fined 50,000 lari (about 19,200 dollars) in favor of the state budget.

At today's court session, Tamaz Elizbarashvili acknowledged the charges against him. He was released in the courtroom, the agency reports.

The prosecution explained the procedural agreement by the defendant's request

According to the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, Tamaz Elizbarashvili approached this agency with a request to conclude a procedural agreement. "He admits the crime he committed and regrets what he has done," the Prosecutor's Office quoted in a statement today, according to "Georgia Online".

The agency noted that, according to the defendant, no one threatened him, and the victims did not apply physical violence against him. Accordingly, he retracted his earlier statement, the publication states.

It should be noted that, according to the investigation, on August 30, a conflict occurred at the restaurant involving Elizbarashvili and a long-time opponent: he got into a verbal altercation with him over past comments on social media. The businessman promised to return in half an hour and "not leave this matter just like that". Knowing that Elizbarashvili had a weapon, the opponent and his companions left. Around midnight, Elizbarashvili returned to the restaurant, but, not finding his opponents, left. The defense rejected the investigation's version that Elizbarashvili returned to the restaurant with a weapon.

Tamaz Elizbarashvili is known as a businessman and the owner of a shelter for homeless dogs. During the flood in Tbilisi in June 2015, his shelter suffered from the disaster: about 80 dogs died, and 14 animals were saved. In 2016, the city hall fined Elizbarashvili for the unauthorized installation of protective railings in the Vere Gorge. He explained that he installed the fence due to the danger to people after the flood and the inaction of the authorities.