Prepared by Messenger Staff
28 Receive Full Prison Terms as October 4 Trials Continue
Four more defendants were sentenced to multi-year prison terms, and twelve others secured reduced sentences through plea agreements as the Tbilisi City Court delivered two separate rulings on June 24 related to the October 4 election-day unrest.
In the first case, Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili sentenced activist Nana Sander to seven years in prison on charges of organizing group violence. Protester Abo Naveriani received five years after being convicted of participating in group violence and attempting to seize a facility of strategic or special importance. Anton Uperi was sentenced in absentia to five years on the same charges as Naveriani. Activist Mariam Mekantsishvili, a prominent figure in the anti-government protests that erupted in November 2024, was fined GEL 5,000 on charges of organizing group activity disrupting public order. None of the four pleaded guilty, ruling out the possibility of a reduced or suspended sentence through a plea agreement.
In a separate ruling delivered earlier in the day, Judge Tamar Makharoblidze presided over a case involving 13 defendants, all charged with participation in group violence, with 3 additionally charged with attempted seizure of strategic facilities. Manuchar Mikeladze, the only defendant who did not plead guilty, was sentenced to five years in prison. The remaining twelve pleaded guilty and received reduced terms under plea agreements. Eleven of them received one year in prison plus three years of suspended sentence each, meaning they are expected to be released in about four months. The twelfth, Saba Kordzaia, will serve 1.5 years following a conviction in a separate criminal case, plus 3 years of suspended sentence.
The June 24 rulings bring the total number of defendants who have received full prison sentences across the October 4 trial series to 28, including three sentenced in absentia. Another 12 received reduced terms through plea agreements, 22 avoided prison through suspended sentences under plea deals, and one was fined.
Droa Says Penitentiary Service Blocking Khoshtaria's Doctor
Droa party co-leader Giga Lemonjava has accused the penitentiary service of deliberately obstructing access to the doctor treating Droa's leader, Elene Khoshtaria.
Lemonjava said that despite submitting an application in line with official requirements, they received a response in the afternoon demanding additional documentation.
"This is another blow to Elene Khoshtaria's health; this is a deliberate delay in the process and a continuation of the approach that the penitentiary service and the regime have been using towards Elene Khoshtaria all this time," he said. "They do not care about Elene's deteriorating health. They violated their own condition about allowing the treating doctor to visit the institution. The regime and Bidzina Ivanishvili personally bear full responsibility for Elene Khoshtaria's health condition."
