Georgia court jails 11 pro-European protesters for two years after charges reclassified

A Tbilisi court has sentenced 11 people to two years in prison in connection with pro-European protests, after reducing the severity of the charges against them.

Judge Nino Galustashvili reclassified the case from group violence under Article 225 of Georgia’s Criminal Code to organisation or active participation in group actions that disrupt public order under Article 226.

The ruling means the court recognised collective involvement in the protest but did not establish that it was premeditated or that it involved violence such as rioting, property damage, or attacks on officials with or without weapons.

Those sentenced include:

• Andro Chichinadze, 29
  
  

• Onise Tskhadadze, 28
  
  

• Guram Mirtskhulava, 34
  
  

• Luka Jabua, 21
  
  

• Jano Archaia, 50
  
  

• Ruslan Sivakov, 27
  
  

• Revaz Kiknadze, 26
  
  

• Giorgi Terishvili, 54
  
  

• Valeri Tetriashvili, 27
  
  

• Sergei Kukharchuk, 27
  
  

• Irakli Kerashvili, 30
  
  

None of the defendants admitted guilt. They told the court they only met each other after being detained and during the trial.

On 2 September, Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili reached a similar decision in another protest-related case, sentencing eight defendants to between two and 2.6 years in prison under the same article.

At the 3 September hearing, eight of the defendants used their right to make a final statement. One of them, Revaz Kiknadze, posted his closing remarks on social media the day before, saying he would not attend the hearing in protest. Sergei Kukharchuk and Guram Mirtchkhulava also declined to appear in court.

All 11 had initially been charged under Article 225, which refers to participation in organised group violence.