Pro-European protester Anton Chechin sentenced to more than eight years in prison in Georgia

A Georgian court has sentenced Anton Chechin to eight years and six months in prison after finding him guilty of drug-related offences.

Judge Jvibe Nachkebia delivered the verdict on Tuesday, which followed Chechin’s arrest during protests on 3 December 2024, following the Georgian Dream government decision to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028. 

Prosecutors charged him under article 260, part six of Georgia’s criminal code, which covers the purchase, possession and carrying of narcotic substances in especially large quantities.