Activist Mekantsishvili released in Tbilisi after posting bail

Mariam Mekantsishvili, detained in connection with the Tbilisi unrest, was released after posting bail. Ten other defendants have been remanded in custody by court order.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, four of the 16 new defendants in the Tbilisi unrest case were arrested on October 18: Yuri Lomidze, Giorgi Talakhadze, David Giunashvili, and Temur Kurtsikidze. Another defendant, Irakli Shaishmelashvili, is currently abroad and has been arrested in absentia. The court allowed activist Mariam Mekantsishvili to be released on bail of 10,000 lari; the money was raised for her that same day.

Activist Mariam Mekantsishvili left the detention center today after posting bail of 10,000 lari (approximately $3,700). Tbilisi City Court Judge Lela Kalichenko ordered this pretrial detention for her at the request of the prosecutor's office, Interpressnews reports.

The same judge ordered pretrial detention for the remaining 10 detainees at the prosecution's request. Eight of them—Simon Makharadze, Jandri Tirkia, Genadi Kelikhashvili, Guri Zhvania, Ramaz Jorbenadze, Mikheil Toloraya, Avtandil Topchishvili, and Gia Toloraya—exercised their right to remain silent in court.

Two more (Dato Gurtskaya and Kakhaber Kvachantiradze) stated that they disagreed with the charges. Lawyers for some of the detainees asked the court to release their clients, while others requested bail, the newspaper writes.

As a reminder, on October 4, the day of the municipal elections, thousands of people gathered in central Tbilisi. After opera singer Paata Burchaladze declared that power in Georgia belongs to the people, clashes broke out between protesters and security forces near the presidential palace. Security forces used riot gear, while protesters used firecrackers. Six demonstrators and 21 security forces were hospitalized, while another 30 people received medical assistance on the spot. Police opened a criminal case in connection with calls to overthrow the government, attacks on police officers, and the storming of the palace.

By October 10, the number of people detained in this case had risen to 46. The next day, all 46 detainees were placed on pretrial detention, two of whom (71-year-old professor and academician, pediatrician Giorgi Chakhunashvili and musician Ia Darakhvelidze) were released on bail.

On October 4, municipal elections were held in all municipalities of Georgia. Candidates from the ruling Georgian Dream party were elected mayor in all 64 cities where elections were held, receiving 100% of the vote in 26 of them. These elections will determine the political balance in Georgia for the coming years. The next major elections in the country are scheduled for 2028, so the current vote is essentially a key one for both the government and the opposition, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Municipal Elections in Georgia on October 4, 2025".

The "Caucasian Knot" is posting materials about the recent municipal elections and protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Elections Amid Protests".