On 9 March, the Tbilisi Court of Appeals upheld the five-year term of imprisonment imposed on Giorgi Mindadze. The decision was issued by Judge Tea Leonidze.
According to the investigation, Mindadze was charged with discharging pyrotechnic devices in the direction of an officer of the Special Tasks Department during a pro-European protest held on 29 November, allegedly resulting in a burn injury to the officer’s leg. The case was brought under Article 353¹ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns an attack on a law enforcement officer.
Mindadze was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on 3 July 2025 by Judge Nino Galustashvili of the Tbilisi City Court.According to the defence, one of the key pieces of evidence in the case is a seven-second video recording obtained from social media, which shows an individual discharging fireworks; however, the footage is not continuous and does not allow for reliable identification of the person. The defence also points to inconsistencies in the testimony of the alleged victim, who stated that the injury was sustained on 29 November but sought emergency medical assistance only on 1 December, raising questions, in the defence’s view, as to whether the injury is in fact related to the events of 29 November.