GYLA

NEWS

09 January, 202519:39

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association monitors criminal court hearings across various district and city courts of the cases where individuals are accused in connection with the exercise of their civil and political rights. For this purpose, GYLA monitors court hearings of persons detained within the context of the November-December 2024 Protests and the April-May 2024 Protests.

During all first appearance court hearings related to the criminal cases of the above-mentioned protests, the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia filed motions for detention as a measure of restraint against the accused individuals.

The court satisfied the motions of the Prosecutor’s Office and imposed detention as a measure of restraint on all accused individuals. In only two cases - those of Aleksandre Elisashvili and a detained minor - did the court later replace the detention with a less severe measure of restraint based on the motion of the prosecutor.

Below is the relevant information:

Information regarding Individuals Detained during the November-December 2024 Protests

Accused	Accusation under the Article of the Criminal Code of Georgia	Judge	Measure of Restraint Imposed by the Court
Mate Devidze	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution	Judge Davit Kurtanidze considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Mate Devidze.	Detention
Anatoli Gigauri	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution	Judge Lela Maridashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Anatoli Gigauri.	Detention
Giorgi Mindadze	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution	Judge Teona Epitashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Giorgi Mindadze.	Detention
Archil Museliants	187(2) - Damage or destruction of property by setting fire, explosion or using any other universally dangerous means.	Judge Nana Shamatava considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Archil Museliants.	Detention
Davit Lomidze Temur Zasokhashvili	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution	Judge Nana Shamatava considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Davit Lomidze and Temur Zasokhashvili.	Detention
Anton Chechini	260 - Illegal manufacturing, production, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or sale of drugs, their analogues, precursors or new psychoactive substances	The information is being confirmed.	Detention
Anzor Kvaratskhelia Saba Jikia	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution	Judge Davit Mgeliashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Anzor Kvaratskhelia and Saba Jikia.	Detention
Davit Khomeriki	The information is being confirmed.	The information is being confirmed.	Detention
Nikoloz Javakhishvili Tornike Goshadze Irakli Miminoshvili Zviad Tsetskhladze Vepkho Kasradze Vasil Kadzelashvili Giorgi Giorgadze Insaf Aliev	225 - Organisation, management or participation in group violence	Judge Irakli Khuskivadze considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against the mentioned persons.	Detention
Saba Skhvitaridze	3531(2) - Harming the health of a police officer in connection with the official activities of the police officer.	Judge Lela Maridashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Saba Skhvitaridze.	Detention
Andro Chichinadze Onise Tskhadadze Guram Mirtskhulava Jano Archaia Luka Jabua Ruslan Sivakov	225(2) - Participation in group violence.	Judge Tamar Mtchedlishvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against the mentioned persons.	Detention
Revaz Kiknadze Giorgi Terashvili Valeri Tetrashvili Sergei Kukharchuki Irakli Kerashvili	225 - Organisation, management or participation in group violence	Judge Tamar Mtchedlishvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against the mentioned persons.	Detention
31. Giorgi Akhobadze	260(6(a)) – Illegal manufacturing, production, purchase, storage, transportation or transfer of drugs, their analogues or precursors, in particularly large quantities.	Judge Lela Maridashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Giorgi Akhobadze.	Detention
Tedo Abramov	260 - Illegal manufacturing, production, purchase, storage, transportation or transfer of drugs, their analogues or precursors.	Judge Irakli Khuskivadze considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Tedo Abramov.	Detention
Nikoloz Katsia	260(6(a)) – Illegal manufacturing, production, purchase, storage, transportation or transfer of drugs, their analogues or precursors, in particularly large quantities.	Judge Tamar Mtchedlishvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Nikoloz Katsia.	Detention
34. Daniel Mumladze	187(2(c)) – Damage or destruction of property by a group of persons.	Judge Teona Epitashvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Daniel Mumladze.	Detention
Guram Khutashvili	187(2(c)) – Damage or destruction of property by a group of persons.	Judge Arsen Kalatozishvili considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against Guram Khutashvili.	Detention
Mamuka Jorbenadze; Guram Mikeladze; Davit Gvianidze; Giorgi Davitadze; Andro Kakabadze	126(11(b) and (c)) - Violence by a group of persons against two or more persons	Judge Levan Kolbaia considered the motion to impose detention as a measure of restraint against the mentioned persons.	Detention
L.Ch.	187 - Damage or destruction of property	The information is being confirmed	The information is being confirmed

Criminal Cases, where the measure of restraint imposed on the accussed individuals during the first appearance court hearing was replaced with a less severe measure of restraint on the basis of the motion of the Prosecutor.

Accused	Accusation under the Article of the Criminal Code of Georgia	Judge	Measure of Retraint Imposed by the Court
M.G. (minor)	187(2(a) - Damage or destruction of property by setting fire, explosion or using any other universally dangerous means.	Judge Eka Barbakadze replaced detention as a measure of restraint with the placement under parental monitoring based on the motion of the Prosecutor.	Placement under parental monitoring
Aleksandre Elisashvili	156(2(a)). - Persecution of a person because of their political activities committed with violence or threat of violence.	Judge Tamar Mtchedlishvili imposed detention as a measure of restraint against Aleksandre Elisashvili during the first appearance court hearing, which ten days following the first appearance court hearing was replaced based on the motion of the prosecutor – Bail in the amount of 4000 GEL.	Bail in the amount of 4000 GEL

Information regarding Individuals Detained during the April-May 2024 Protests

Accused	Accusation under the Article of the Criminal Code of Georgia	Judge		Measure of Restraint Imposed by the Court
Omar Okribelashvili Saba Meparishvili	187(2) – Damage or destruction of property by a group of persons	Judge Natia Gudadze considers the criminal case on the merits.	Detention
Giorgi Okmelashvili	3531(1) - Attacking a police officer; and 260 - Illegal manufacturing, production, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or sale of drugs, their analogues, precursors or new psychoactive substances	Judge Giorgi Gelashvili considers the criminal case on the merits.	Detention
Fridon Bubuteishvili	187(1) - Damage or destruction of property; 3531(1) - Attacking a police officer;	Judge Zviad Sharadze considers the criminal case on the merits.	Detention
Giorgi Kutchuashvili Davit Koldari	187(1) - Damage or destruction of property; 3531(1) - Attacking a police officer.	Judge Mikheil Jinjolia considers the criminal case on the merits.	Detention

As for now, the court reached a judgment of conviction on the criminal cases of following individuals:

Irakli Meghvinetukhutsesi;
Andrei Rautberg;
Vazha Durglishvili.

Also, against (53) Giorgi Shanidze, who was pardoned by the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili.

GYLA has stated in a number of statements, that the cases against the activists had been deliberately lengthened, based on the presumption to hinder President Salome Zourabichvili to exercise her presidential powers to pardon activists.¹

In addition to the mentioned cases, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association monitors other criminal cases in district and city courts that involve a high public interest and/or where there may be indications of the political use of criminal justice mechanisms.

Information on court hearings is regularly updated. Furthermore, we would like to encourage the public and interested parties to provide us with information for the purposes of monitoring regarding ongoing criminal cases against activists, to the following email: Courtmonitoring@gyla.ge.

¹The Hearing of the Case of Giorgi Okmelashvili, detained during the Protests against the Russian Law, is delayed by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Court, GYLA, 12.12.2024, available at: https://gyla.ge/post/okmelashvilis-saqmis-ganxilva-chianurdeba-gyla;

Court Postpones Hearings on Criminal Cases of Participants in “Russian Law” Protests, GYLA, 24.11.2024, available at: https://gyla.ge/en/post/rusuli-kanonis-saprotesto-aqciis-monawileta-sasamrtlo-chianurdeba

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