Trial of pro-European protester Nika Katsia continues amid allegations of fabricated charges

The trial of Nika Katsia, a participant in Georgia’s ongoing pro-European protests, continues at the Tbilisi City Court. Katsia is accused of purchasing and storing a particularly large quantity of narcotics, a charge that his legal defense claims is fabricated.

Katsia’s lawyer, Nino Lominadze, on Friday claimed that independent forensic examinations indicate drugs had been “planted on him”.

“We requested an alternative examination—specifically, a drug test for Nikoloz Katsia. This request was also made during the investigation stage, but the prosecution refused to conduct the examination,” Lominadze told reporters.

Instead, the defense approached an independent expert bureau, which determined that Katsia had not used narcotics. Additionally, a scheduled forensic analysis to detect fingerprints on the alleged narcotics package revealed that no fingerprints were found on the item.

Katsia was arrested on December 8, 2024. According to his lawyer, law enforcement officers apprehended him at his home, transported him to another location, and searched him on the street. The police allegedly recorded the search on video, but no contraband was found at that time.

Both Katsia and his associates believe his arrest is directly linked to his involvement in the ongoing pro-European demonstrations. He has been charged under Article 260, Part 6, Subparagraph “a” of the Criminal Code, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.

For 86 consecutive days, since November 28, 2024, demonstrators have been staging rallies in Tbilisi and other cities following the ruling Georgian Dream party’s announcement that accession negotiations with the European Union would not be prioritized until at least 2028.

The protests have included marches and performances, with participants demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of detainees, including Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti media outlets.

Protesters claim that all individuals arrested during the demonstrations are political prisoners and victims of state repression.