20-year-old demonstrator sentenced to two months in prison over police assault during Tbilisi protests

Mate Devidze, 20, who was arrested during a protest on Melikishvili Avenue this week against the results of October 26 general elections, has been sentenced to two months in prison. The decision was made by Judge Davit Kurtanidze at a session held at the Tbilisi City Court on Friday.

Earlier that day, Devidze was formally charged by the prosecutor’s office with assaulting a police officer. According to the indictment presented by the investigator, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ investigation revealed that on the morning of November 19, during the protest, Devidze used a wooden stick to inflict injuries on three police officers.

Devidze was arrested on November 21 and charged under Part 1 of Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which addresses attacks on police officers in connection with their official duties. The charge carries a sentence of four to seven years of imprisonment.

Devidze’s lawyers attended the arraignment but did not provide comments to the media. The family has also requested no communication with journalists at this stage. On the evening of November 21, a rally in support of Devidze, titled Freedom for Mate, was held on Melikishvili Avenue.

Devidze was one of 16 individuals arrested on November 19 when law enforcement cleared demonstrators from the area around Tbilisi State University. Initially charged with disobeying a lawful police request (Article 173) and petty hooliganism (Article 166), the case was later reclassified as a criminal offense by the investigation.