Former Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili welcomed the acquittal of journalist Nika Katsia as a rare moment of justice in an otherwise deeply flawed system.

“This is a great joy for everyone—something our society desperately needs,” Zurabishvili said, following the court’s decision to clear Katsia of drug-related charges. She emphasized that while the ruling is a step forward, it does not reflect broader change: “For every brick laid for justice, eleven bricks of injustice have been laid.”

Zurabishvili noted the lack of evidence in Katsia’s case and criticized a pattern of politically motivated prosecutions. She called the judiciary “controlled” and compared its tactics to those used in Russia.

“We must keep fighting for a truly independent judiciary,” she said, adding that current issues are a continuation of past injustices: “The same Murusidzes are still in charge today.”

She also criticized Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani’s recent commission findings for failing to acknowledge judicial abuses under the previous regime.