Tbilisi, Georgia – Nikoloz Basilashvili, a 32-year-old professional tennis player from Georgia, has been acquitted of domestic violence charges against his ex-wife, Neli Dorokashvili. The Tbilisi City Court announced the verdict following a trial that concluded two years after the initial charges were filed in May 2020.
The court determined in October 2022 that the victim's testimony did not provide sufficient evidence to meet the standard required for a guilty verdict. This verdict effectively clears Basilashvili of all allegations, including claims of economic violence and harassment based on gender discrimination. The court also dismissed accusations of two separate incidents of alleged physical violence that purportedly occurred in 2018 and 2019.
Basilashvili, who has reached a career-high ranking of No. 16 in the ATP rankings and has won five ATP Tour titles, expressed relief following the court's decision. He shared with CNN, "I am happy everything is over and I can go back to my normal life." His most recent title was secured at the 2021 BMW Open in Munich, Germany.
Neli Dorokashvili's lawyer, Ana Abashidze, criticized the judicial process and stated that her client felt "morally judged by the Georgian community." Abashidze noted that the media portrayal of the case was heavily biased in favor of Basilashvili. She remarked, "The media covered the issue unfairly and the vast majority of the population of Georgia supported Basilashvili."
Following the trial, Dorokashvili took to Instagram to voice her frustrations with the judicial system in Georgia, asserting that it is "killing women." She emphasized her dissatisfaction with how the legal proceedings were handled and indicated that the system does not adequately protect victims of domestic violence.
The Tbilisi City Court underscored its reasoning in the verdict, stating that they "did not create a set of evidence sufficient for the standard of a guilty verdict." They further highlighted that, in accordance with the principle of presumption of innocence, "the court decided beyond any reasonable doubt in favor of the accused."
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