Court upholds pre-trial detention of 11 protesters accused of group violence in Tbilisi

Tbilisi City Court has once again reviewed — and upheld — the pre-trial detention of 11 protesters charged with group violence. Defense lawyers had requested their release, arguing that there was no longer a risk of evidence tampering or flight, as the investigation is complete. However, the prosecution insisted on keeping them in custody, and Judge Nino Galustashvili sided with the prosecution.

Under Georgian law, the necessity of pre-trial detention must be reviewed every two months. During this latest hearing, Rezo Kiknadze, one of the defendants, addressed the court himself due to his lawyer’s absence for health reasons. He denied any intention to flee or reoffend and appealed to the judge’s sense of justice: “You may be in power now, but history is the ultimate judge. You have a chance to write history and restore dignity to a judiciary that has lost its function,” he said.

Another defendant, Onise Tskhadadze, also criticized the prosecution, stating:

“If you brought your humanity into the courtroom, things would look very different. Be optimists — optimists grow in every endeavor. And we will win.”

Judge Galustashvili ultimately concluded there were no new circumstances to warrant releasing the detainees.

The case — involving Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Rezo Kiknadze, Guram Mirtskhulava, Luka Jabua, Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Giorgi Terashvili, Valeri Tetrashvili, Sergei Kukharchuk, and Irakli Kerashvili — is now at the substantive trial stage. Defendants have already delivered their opening statements.

More than four months have passed since the protests erupted on November 28, 2024 after the government announced suspension of EU accession talks until 2028. Demonstrators have consistently called for new elections and the release of all detsined demonstrants.

The ruling Georgian Dream party tightened protest laws, banning the use of lasers and face coverings at demonstrations, increasing fines for blocking roads or disobeying police, and extending administrative detention from 15 to 60 days. Despite these measures, public protests have continued without interruption.