FORMER GEORGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM IN FRANCE

TBILISI, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS:France granted political asylum to former Georgian defense minister Irakly Okruashvli who was sentenced by a Georgian court to 11 years in prison in absentia on charges of financial abuses and corruption. The news was reported by Russian Ria Novosti news agency which quoted a source from Okruashvili’s Movement for United Georgia party. The news was later confirmed by Okruashvili’s Georgian lawyer Ekaterina Beselia. She said the French interior ministry that was considering former defense minister’s case decided to grant him political asylum.