Tbilisi judge refuses bail for 11 protest detainees accused of group violence

A Tbilisi City Court judge has rejected bail requests for all 11 individuals detained during pro-European protests outside the Georgian parliament, keeping them in pre-trial detention.

The protests erupted in Georgia in late 2024, when the Georgian Dream authorities announced the halt in the country’s EU integration until 2028, citing an alleged blackmail from the west to get involved in the Russia-Ukraine war. 

At Thursday’s court session, presided over by Judge Nino Galustashvili, defence lawyers submitted individual motions either for the cancellation of pre-trial detention or for its replacement with bail. In the case of actor Andro Chichinadze, his lawyer went further, requesting unconditional release without bail.

The defence argued that the case lacked direct evidence linking the defendants to any acts of group violence. According to the lawyers, even the testimony of the lead investigator, Arsen Khunashvili, indicated that none of the accused had confirmed connections to the protest organisers or to one another.

Following a half-hour recess, Judge Galustashvili announced her decision to deny all motions, saying that the defendants would remain in custody.

The 11 individuals - including Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Luka Jabua, Guram Mirtskhulava, Valeri Tetrashvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Revaz Kiknadze, and Sergei Kukharchuk - face charges under Article 225 (Part 2) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns participation in group violence.

If convicted, the offence carries a prison sentence of four to six years.