Founder of House of Justice condemns prison sentences for pro-European protesters as ‘unjust’, ‘illegal’

Eka Beselia, founder of the civic group House of Justice, has criticised the sentencing of 11 individuals arrested during pro-European protests late last year, calling the recent court ruling “unjust and illegal” and promising to appeal.

Speaking to Front News on Thursday, Beselia said that judges Nino Galustashvili and Mchedlishvili had carried out “political assignments” rather than applying the law impartially. She also accused the court of violating international legal standards by changing charges and qualifications to impose prison terms.

“All 11 defendants were handed two-year prison sentences,” Beselia said. “The law was breached, international legal principles were ignored, and the judges acted under political pressure. We will appeal this ruling in the appellate court and are confident it will be overturned.”

Those sentenced include Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Luka Jabuia, Guram Mirtskhulava, Valeri Tetrashvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerasvili, Revaz Kiknadze, and Sergei Kukharchuk.

Beselia described the verdict as part of a broader political process and criticised the judges for failing to act independently, calling them “subordinates who only answer to their superiors.”