groups and that is related to the events of May, 2011 [during street protest rallies]. It requires further probe and I think that Okruashvili returned in order to prove his truth." Irakli Okruashvili was released from a courtroom on January 11. His release was made possible after Okruashvili was cleared of bribe-taking and extortion charges during a hearing in the Court of Appeals on January 10 and after the Tbilisi City Court accepted on January 11 a motion from prosecutors to release Okruashvili from custody on GEL 15,000 bail. A trial into negligence will be continued later in the Tbilisi City Court. After his release Okruashvili gave an interview to Reuters to define the reasons of his return to Georgia after several years of residence in France under political asylum. Okruashvili sayd Georgia's prosecution does not use him as "a golden witness" against President Saakashvili, as it was suggested in the Georgian media, and there was no big agreement with the new government about any issue. "My return (to the country) was just based on my decision and that`s it", Okruashvili said. See also List of people granted political asylum References External links Biography: Irakli Kobaevich Okruashvili, Kavkaz-uzel, January 14, 2013 (in Russian) 1973 births Jurists from Georgia (country) Living people Georgian exiles People from Tskhinvali United National Movement (Georgia) politicians Government ministers of Georgia (country) People convicted in absentia Expatriates from Georgia (country) in France International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine personnel Foreign volunteers in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine