Trial of protest detainees against halted EU integration underway at Tbilisi City Court

The trial of 11 individuals arrested during protest rallies in Georgia against the Government’s decision last year to halt EU accession talks until 2028, including actor Andro Chichinadze and comedian Onise Tskhadadze, is currently in progress at the Tbilisi City Court.

In a show of solidarity, fellow actors and supporters have gathered in the court’s courtyard to advocate for them and call for fair proceedings.

The hearing will review the imprisonment of the detainees, with tensions running high as only a limited number of family members are permitted inside the courtroom. This restriction has sparked unrest in the court’s corridors, where relatives of the accused are demanding a larger venue to allow broader public access to the trial.

Chichinadze, Tskhadadze, and the others face charges under Part 2 of Article 225 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which pertains to participation in group violence. If convicted, the accused could face prison sentences ranging from 4 to 6 years.