"We won the case in regard to admitting Vano Merabishvili as a political prisoner," - this statement was made by Otar Kakhidze, attorney of Vano Merabishvili, member of "European Georgia" today.

He spoke about the ruling of the Grand Chamber of the European Court at the special briefing and underlined that by announcing about the violation of the 18th article, the illegal detention of the ex-PM Vano Merabishvili was announced.
Otar Kakhidze appealed to the Georgian government to immediately release Merabishvili from imprisonment.

"The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has upheld the decision on Vano Merabishvili and we have won the case regarding Vano Merabishvili"s political imprisonment," said Otar Kakhidze.
According to Otar Kakhidze, the decision made by the Grand Chamber can not be appealed and the ruling is final. According to him, it should be a lesson for the government and they should stop political persecution against Vano Merabishvili and other political prisoners.

Giga Bokeria, one of the leaders of "European Georgia" has commented on the decision as well.
"We should end up talking about political persecution, political prisoners who are imprisoned. This is not the interest of any individual prisoner, the interest of any political force, it is not the subject of internal political struggle. This is an issue of a normal democratic tradition, the country"s future, the image of the country. It"s a paradoxical thing to say, this is in the interests of the government as well, "Giga Bokeria has stated.