Twelve protesters sentenced in Tbilisi

The court sentenced 11 people, including actor Andro Chichinadze, comedian Onis Tskhadadze and two Ukrainian citizens, Ruslan Sivakov and Sergei Kukharchuk, to two years in prison for participating in the riots. Saba Skhvitaridze was also sentenced to a similar term for assaulting a police officer.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, on April 2, the Tbilisi City Court began considering the case of 11 people detained at the scene of the protests. The accused - actor Andro Chichinadze, stand-up comedian Onise Tskhadadze, as well as Guram Mirtskhulava, Luka Jabua, Jano Archaya, Valeri Tetreshvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Revaz Kiknadze, Ruslan Sivakov and Sergei Kukharchuk - did not admit guilt and insist that they did not know each other before their arrest in the case of group violence at protests (Part 2 of Article 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for up to six years in prison). On August 1, the court left them in custody.

The court sentenced 11 people detained on charges of participating in organized group violence to two years in prison, writes Interpressnews.

Initially, they were charged under a more serious article, about organized violence. But the court changed the qualification to Article 226 of the Criminal Code of Georgia "Organization of group actions that violate public order, or active participation in them," the agency reported.

The following were convicted: 21-year-old future psychologist Luka Jabua, 26-year-old employee of "Evolution Georgia" Revaz (Rezo) Kiknadze, 27-year-old welder, citizen of Ukraine Ruslan Sivakov, 27-year-old administrator at the Gudauri Hotel Valeri Tetrashvili, 27-year-old welder, citizen of Ukraine Sergey Kukharchuk, 28-year-old comedian/stand-up comedian Onise Tskhadadze, 29-year-old actor Andro Chichinadze, 30-year-old doctor, plastic surgeon, Irakli Kerashvili, 34-year-old historian Guram Mirtskhulava, 50-year-old taxi driver Jano Archaia, 54-year-old taxi driver Giorgi Terishvili, Tbilisi reports Life.

A large crowd gathered for the hearing, including some at the courthouse. About 10 security officials stood at the exit of the courtroom, and immediately after the verdict was announced, they began to escort people out of the courtroom, not allowing their relatives to talk to the convicted for even a couple of minutes, the publication says.

This morning, another participant in the pro-European protests, a member of the Akhali party, Sabu Skhvitaridze, was found guilty under Article 120 of the Criminal Code ("Intentional infliction of minor bodily harm") and sentenced to two years in prison, the Novosti Georgia agency reported.

"You give me the strength to fight, the strength to remain steadfast, even if I have to fight from behind bars... I am not going to bow down to the regime, I ask you to be strong," he said in his closing remarks.

Skhvitaridze was arrested on December 5, 2024, on charges of assaulting police officer Mirian Kavtaradze. Initially, the prosecutor's office brought charges under a more serious article: causing "damage to the health of a police officer while performing official duties", from 7 to 11 years in prison. But the case was reclassified: the defense proved that the activist did not know that he was an Interior Ministry employee, since he was not wearing a police uniform.

Recall that on September 2, a court in Tbilisi found eight protesters guilty of organizing group actions that violated public order, and sentenced them to terms of two to two and a half years in prison. Georgia's fifth president Salome Zurabishvili called the verdict politically motivated.

Caucasian Knot" published a report "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia". "Caucasian Knot" collected materials about the parliamentary elections and the protests that followed them on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".