Court keeps protesters arrested during pro-European rallies in custody

A Georgian court has ruled to keep eight individuals in pretrial detention following their arrests during pro-European rallies outside the country’s parliament in Tbilisi.

Among those detained is activist Zviad Tsetskhladze, who, along with Vepkhia Kasradze and Vasil Kadzelashvili, is accused of organizing and leading group violence. They face prison sentences ranging from six to nine years if convicted. Five others - Giorgi Gorgadze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Insaf Aliyev, Tornike Goshadze and Nikoloz Javakhishvili - are charged with participating in the violence, carrying potential sentences of four to six years.

Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili upheld the prosecution's request to maintain the detainees in custody, citing ongoing risks of absconding and committing further offences. Prosecutor Vazha Todua argued that the original grounds for pretrial detention remained valid, particularly in light of the nature of the charges and the volatile environment surrounding the protests.

The court session had originally been scheduled to begin reviewing prosecution evidence. However, proceedings were limited after one of the defence lawyers, Elguja Avsajanishvili, who represents Nikoloz Javakhishvili, was unable to attend in person due to health issues and instead joined remotely. As a result, witness testimonies were postponed, and the hearing focused solely on the continuation of detention.

Lawyers for the accused contested the prosecution’s stance and requested that the detainees be released. As an alternative, they proposed the imposition of bail, the amount of which they left to the court's discretion. Human rights groups also urged the court to consider less restrictive measures, such as electronic monitoring.

Several of the defendants spoke in court, insisting that their continued imprisonment was unjustified and calling for their release.

The detentions are part of a broader crackdown following weeks of unrest in Tbilisi, where thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in support of Georgia’s European aspirations and in opposition to controversial legislation viewed by critics as mirroring Russian-style restrictions on civil society.

The government has denied targeting peaceful protesters, stating that arrests were made in response to acts of organized violence.