Prepared by Messenger Staff
Two Protesters Sentenced to One Year in Prison Over Rustaveli Avenue Incident
The Tbilisi City Court has sentenced protesters Tornike Toshkhua and Mindia Shervashidze to one year in prison after finding them guilty of group violence.
Judge Elene Goguadze delivered the verdict on April 1 following months of hearings. The two men have already spent around eight months in pretrial detention and are expected to serve less than five months more.
The case stems from an August 1 incident on Rustaveli Avenue near the Georgian parliament, where anti-government demonstrations have been held daily since late 2024.
Authorities said the two protesters attacked Beka Gotsiridze, a former national team player and supporter of the Georgian Dream party, during a nighttime rally.
Witnesses and activists disputed that account, saying Gotsiridze initiated the confrontation and dropped a knife during the scuffle. Gotsiridze later acknowledged in court that he had a knife with him but denied trying to use it, saying it fell from his pocket after he was knocked down.
"I have no interest in detaining them," he said during earlier testimony, adding he would not have opposed their release on bail.
Georgian Dream Allocates GEL 43 Million to Patriarchate-Linked Schools
The Georgian Dream government has ordered the allocation of GEL 43,035,000 to educational institutions affiliated with the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate.
According to a March 26 decree, the funding will be distributed among 53 institutions across the country. These include the Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary, as well as schools, gymnasiums, and universities established by the Patriarchate.
The amount matches funding provided to the same group of institutions in 2025.
State support for Patriarchate-linked education has remained significant in recent years. In the 2024 budget, the government earmarked GEL 35 million for related projects, in addition to the GEL 25 million the Church receives annually. Later that year, an extra GEL 2 million was directed to St. Andrew's Georgian University.
The funding decision comes as the Church prepares to elect a new leader following the death of Ilia II on March 17 at the age of 93. Until a successor is chosen, patriarchal duties are carried out by Shio Mujiri.
