Georgia, Tbilisi, Dec 27 /Trend N.Kirtzkhalia/
Lawyers of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili intend to appeal the decision of the Tbilisi City Court, which upheld a presidential decree on the deprivation of citizenship to Georgia businessman on Tuesday, the lawyer Eka Beselia told reporters.
"We won the lawsuit against Catherine Khvedelidze. Her citizenship will be restored. As Bidzina Ivanishvili, the judge did not dare to take a fair and lawful decision, he could not cope with this test," the lawyer said.
She stressed that lawyers will continue to fight to return Georgian citizenship to Mr Ivanishvili, from which he was 'unlawfully deprived.' We will appeal against the decision of Tbilisi City Court," Ms Beselia said.
The Board on Administrative Cases of Tbilisi City Court partially answered the claims of Mr Ivanishvili's lawyers, annulling the decision of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili with reference to the businessman's wife Catherine Khvedelidze.
The Court explained its decision by the fact that Mrs Khvedelidze was already a citizen of France and Russia, when she received Georgian citizenship, but Ivanishvili received the citizenship of France only after obtaining Georgian citizenship. Therefore, he was deprived of citizenship legally.
The Ministry noted that Mr Ivanishvili was deprived of Georgian citizenship after it emerged that he had become a French citizen.