Georgian activist sued by ruling party MP Matikashvili detained after skipping court hearing

Georgian activist Aleksandre Samkharadze has been detained after failing to appear at a court hearing related to a case brought against him by Georgian Dream MP Davit Matikashvili, who accused him of verbal insult. According to eyewitnesses, Samkharadze was arrested near his home.

The case was reviewed by Tbilisi City Court on June 13, but Samkharadze did not attend the hearing. Instead, he posted a video online showing a conversation with a court official, where he stated his refusal to participate in a process he believes is politically motivated:
“I’m not going because it’s all captured by the ruling party, and I won’t be part of this.”

Later that day, the court sentenced him in absentia to 14 days of administrative detention. According to Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Samkharadze was apprehended and transferred to a temporary detention facility for the enforcement of the court ruling.

The incident that led to the charges occurred on June 2 and was captured in a video posted by Samkharadze himself. In the video, Matikashvili enters a pastry shop in Tbilisi’s Saburtalo district, and Samkharadze begins singing a well-known protest chant, “Ole, Ola.” Matikashvili responds with verbal abuse. According to Samkharadze, the MP later chased him in a car along with another individual.

Authorities emphasized that his arrest followed his evasion of the court and was conducted to enforce the legal decision.