Two more defendants sentenced in murdered teacher Avaliani’s case

A court in Tbilisi has sentenced two defendants in connection with the case surrounding the death of a young teacher Giga Avaliani, with both receiving reduced prison terms under Georgia's Juvenile Justice Code.

Demetre Chikovani was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of preparing to inflict grievous bodily harm as part of a group. The sentence was reduced by one quarter because he was a minor at the time of the offence, resulting in a final prison term of nine years and nine months.

Ani Naskidashvili was sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of failing to report a particularly serious crime. Her sentence was also reduced under juvenile justice provisions, leaving a final term of five years and three months.

Both defendants were convicted on 27 May.

The verdicts follow earlier sentences handed down on 8 April to Aleksandre Gabashvili and Giorgi Rikadze, who each received 14-year prison terms. After sentence reductions under the Juvenile Justice Code, both will serve 10 years and six months in prison.

Giga Avaliani died on 25 October 2025, several weeks after he was attacked near his home on 1 October. Prosecutors said he sustained injuries during the assault and later died in hospital.