Judge Paata Silagadze of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of eight people detained during the December 2024 protests.
At first instance, Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili sentenced Vepkhia Kasradze, Vasil Kadzelashvili, and Zviad Tsetskhladze to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment, while the other five convicted individuals — Irakli Miminoshvili, Tornike Goshadze, Insaf Aliyev, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, and Giorgi Gorgadze — were sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment.
The first-instance court reclassified the charges from Article 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia to Article 226. Article 226 concerns the organization of group actions, or participation in such actions, that seriously disrupt public order.
Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili found Zviad Tsetskhladze, Vepkhia Kasradze, and Vasil Kadzelashvili to be the organizers of the group action, while the remaining five individuals were found to be participants.
In their appeal, the convicted individuals sought the annulment of the first-instance judgment and requested an acquittal. The prosecution, for its part, challenged the judgment with respect to the legal qualification of the offence and sought the conviction of the individuals under the provision concerning participation in group violence.
The Tbilisi Court of Appeal upheld the 8.5-year sentence of Anton Chechin, convicted on drug-related charges. The decision was delivered on April 27 by an appellate panel composed of judges Nino Chakhnashvili, Giorgi Keratishvili, and Paata Silagadze.
Chechin did not exercise his right to a final statement and did not attend the pronouncement of the judgment. At first instance, the judgment against Chechin was delivered by Judge Jvebe Nachkebia.
Chechin was convicted of possession of a particularly large quantity of narcotic substances. He does not admit guilt and claims that the drugs were planted on him due to his participation in protests. He was arrested on December 3, 2024, during ongoing demonstrations.
The Tbilisi Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of the court of first instance, finding 19-year-old Saba Jikia guilty and maintaining the sentence of 4 years and 6 months of imprisonment. The decision was delivered by Judge Giorgi Keratishvili.
Jikia was charged under Article 353¹, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, which concerns an attack on a police officer and provides for a penalty of 4 to 7 years’ imprisonment. According to the prosecution, he delivered a kick to the torso of an employee of the Special Tasks Department.
The alleged victim in the case, Special Tasks Department officer Beka Gotiashvili, has stated that he did not sustain any injury. Saba Jikia was arrested on December 4, 2024.
Judge Tea Leonidze of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of the court of first instance and found guilty 11 individuals detained during the December 2024 protests.
The convicted individuals are: Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Guram Mirtkhulava, Jano Archaia, Luka Jabua, Ruslan Sivakov, Revaz Kiknadze, Giorgi Terishvili, Valeri Tetrashvili, Sergei Kukharchuk, and Irakli Kerashvili. Each was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment. The court qualified them as participants in group action. In their appellate complaints, the convicted persons sought the quashing of the first instance judgment and the delivery of an acquittal.
At first instance, Judge Nino Galustashvili of the Tbilisi City Court reclassified the initial charge (Article 225 of the Criminal Code) to Article 226, which concerns the organization of, or participation in, group action entailing a gross violation of public order. The Prosecutor’s Office, in the appellate proceedings, contested the judgment insofar as it concerned the legal qualification and requested that the defendants be convicted under a more serious provision participation in group violence.
Civil activists Tornike Toshkhua and Mindia Shervashidze, who were arrested in August 2025 on charges of group violence, were found guilty by the court and each sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The decision was delivered on April 1 by Judge Elene Goguadze of the Tbilisi City Court. The sentence is to be calculated from the date of arrest.
Tornike Toshkhua (37) and Mindia Shervashidze (33) are participants in the pro-European protests on Rustaveli Avenue. They were arrested on August 16, following an incident that occurred on August 1. On that day, the activists attempted to remove from the area an individual armed with a knife – identified as Georgian Dream supporter Beka Gotsiridze, who was allegedly attempting to provoke a confrontation. The attempt resulted in an incident.
Subsequently, the Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against the activists under the provision of group violence (Article 126¹, paragraph 1, subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia). The court did not accept the defense’s argument that the defendants had acted within the bounds of necessary self-defense. Legal representatives have assessed the decision as setting a dangerous precedent.
Journalist Nanuka Zhorzholiani wrote on social media that she had received a court ruling according to which Prosecutor Ani Khubejishvili requested the extension of seizure measures imposed on charitable foundations.
The case concerns bank accounts that were frozen by a court ruling in March 2025, upon the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, affecting several charitable and non-governmental organisations, including the “Nanuka’s Fund”. According to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, the seizure measures were imposed within the framework of an ongoing investigation classified as sabotage and assistance to hostile activities, initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by the movement “United Neutral Georgia”, founded by Vato Shakarishvili. The movement was established on 10 July 2024, and its statements are frequently disseminated by media outlets affiliated with the authorities. The organisation is considered to be affiliated with “Georgian Dream” and often reiterates its messaging.“Nanuka’s Fund” is a charitable organisation established in 2020, which has provided assistance to socially vulnerable individuals, persons with serious medical conditions, and, during November–December 2024, was actively involved in humanitarian and social support activities related to pro-European protests.
On 19 March, information was disseminated that Shalva Esartia, an activist detained in Zugdidi, was being held under criminal, rather than administrative, proceedings, which was later confirmed by his lawyer, Ramaz Mikaia. According to him, Esartia was charged under Article 353³ of the Criminal Code, which concerns the repeated commission of the same act by a person who has already been subject to an administrative sanction and provides for imprisonment of up to one year.
On 20 March, Judge Ekaterine Bebia of the Zugdidi District Court imposed pre-trial detention as a preventive measure on Shalva Esartia, who had been detained on charges of disobedience to a police officer.
Shalva Esartia was detained on 17 March. His detention was preceded by being stopped while driving, which, according to the “Civil Solidarity Fund”, occurred on the purported grounds of failing to yield to a pedestrian. Esartia denied committing any offence, stating that he had not violated traffic rules. Footage disseminated on the same day shows police officers using force to place him into a patrol police vehicle.
According to the organisation, the shift from an initial administrative charge to criminal proceedings raises indications of selective enforcement and may be linked to his activism. Esartia has been detained for the third time on charges of disobedience to a police officer — in previous instances, he was first fined and subsequently subjected to administrative detention, whereas the present case is being pursued under criminal law.
The provision of the Criminal Code under which repeated disobedience to or insult of a police officer is punishable by up to one year of imprisonment was introduced in Parliament by “Georgian Dream” on 13 October 2025 and adopted under an accelerated procedure within two days.
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.
