report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on Georgia, the CPT states that current condition of detention of Mr Merabishvili “could be considered as amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment.” On 14 June 2016, the Fourth Section of the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case Merabishvili v Georgia that the repeated extension of Merabishvili's pre-trial detention "lacked reasonableness" and was exploited "as an additional opportunity to obtain leverage over the unrelated investigation" into the death of the former Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and financial activities of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. The Fourth Section of ECHR unanimously found violations of Articles 5§3 and 18 of the European Convention of Human Rights in the case of former Prime-Minister. The Government of Georgia appealed the case to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR, but on 28 November 2017, the Grand Chamber by a majority ruled that pretrial detention of Merabishvili, initially justified, became aimed at obtaining information on unrelated cases, including the one against former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Thus, the Grand Chamber completely upheld the decision of the ECHR Fourth Section regarding the case. By the time this decision was adopted by the Grand Chamber, in almost 60-year history of the ECHR there were only seven cases, including that of Ivane Merabishvili, in which breach of Article 18 of the European Convention of Human Rights was established by the section of the ECHR and the first one by the Grand Chamber. Ivane Merabishvili was only the third politician in relation to whom this breach was established by the Court and first case of this kind in the history of Georgia. Release from prison Having served almost seven years in prison, Merabishvili was released on 20 February 2020. Outside of Matrosovi Prison, he stated his intention to return to politics and bring an end to the Georgian Dream party. Due to his past political allies being divided into different parties, he offered to meet with each and decide which one to join afterwards. Despite his release, he may still face further charges for a raid on Imedi TV in 2007, as well as his part in dispersing 2007 rallies. Prime Minister and Georgian Dream politician Giorgi Gakharia dismissed Merabishvili's threats as proof that the United National Movement was a party of the past, while Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani described Merabishvili