Where I have been unlawfully confined for seven months, a plea deal is, for many, a so-called humane step taken by the state. I cannot forget the crying of a little girl, whose voice reached my cell… ‘I miss my mother.’ When I learned that a plea deal was being arranged with her parent, I was genuinely relieved.

In my case, it is not like that. It is the opposite. Even the proposal is equivalent to being buried alive. The suggestion itself is deeply insulting. My lawyers have already voiced my position: no, I will not sign this plea deal. For the simple reason that what happened was not an assault. What kind of justice is this, I do not know.

From the very first day of my detention, I have repeatedly stated in this courtroom that I do not evade responsibility, unlike the so-called victim, Dgebuadze. The law contains provisions that are adequate for my actions—of giving a slap.