Georgian activist sentenced to two years in prison over slapping police officer

A Tbilisi court has sentenced pro-European activist Anatoli Gigauri to two years in prison for slapping a police officer during a protest, in a case his lawyer insists was self-defence.

The verdict, delivered on Tuesday by Judge Jvibe Nachkebia, reclassified the original charge from “assault on a police officer” - which carries a sentence of four to seven years - to “violence against a police officer”, punishable by a fine, house arrest, or two to six years in prison. Despite having the option to impose a lighter penalty, the judge opted for a custodial sentence.

Gigauri’s lawyer, Lasha Tsutskiridze, said video evidence showed a patrol officer punching his client in the face before attempting another blow, at which point Gigauri swung his hand in self-defence.

In an address to the court before sentencing, Gigauri accused police of provoking the incident and inflicting serious injury on him, alleging he was punched repeatedly in the head and suffered a concussion.

He was arrested on 25 November last year during a pro-European rally sparked by the Georgian Dream government decision earlier that year to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028. Prosecutors said he physically assaulted a patrol officer tasked with maintaining public order.

The case echoes that of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, who was also sentenced to two years in prison earlier this year for slapping a senior police officer in Batumi.