Five fined and four jailed in Tbilisi activists' case
A court in Georgia has concluded hearings in the cases of 10 activists detained outside Tbilisi City Hall on 26 July. Four were sentenced to administrative detention, while five were fined. Proceedings against one remaining activist have been postponed until 31 July.
What happened
The incident began when activist Tornike Toshkhua staged a solo protest outside Tbilisi City Hall holding a banner reading: “Bidzina d*ck? Yes – No.” The slogan referred to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Police detained Toshkhua at the scene.
In response, a group of activists gathered outside Tbilisi City Hall carrying banners with the same slogan to express solidarity with Toshkhua. Within minutes, police began detaining them as well. In total, nine more people were arrested alongside Toshkhua.
They have been charged with using abusive language in a public place and disobeying lawful police orders.
Fines and detentions
The activists began appearing in court from the afternoon of 28 July, before the 48-hour detention period had expired.
The first ruling was delivered in the case of Vaso Beridze. The judge fined him 5,000 lari ($1,850), rejecting the Interior Ministry’s request to place him under administrative detention.
In the case of Ia Melitauri, the Interior Ministry sought the maximum administrative detention, but the judge sentenced her to five days in custody instead. Police accused Melitauri of using abusive language in a public place and disobeying lawful police orders. The judge found no evidence that she had disobeyed police and convicted her only of petty hooliganism.
Melitauri had previously been found guilty twice of administrative offences involving disobeying police and insulting a police officer. A third offence under the same provision carries criminal liability.
According to people present at the hearing, Melitauri told the court she had been mistreated by police following her arrest and showed the judge injuries she said she had sustained during her detention.
The hearing in the case of the third detainee, Tornike Tikaradze, was postponed until 31 July. Tikaradze did not attend the hearing in protest.
Another judge heard the cases of seven other activists and, after several hours of witness testimony and reviewing video evidence, delivered the following verdicts:
- Tornike Toshkhua was fined 3,000 lari ($1,110);
- Mariam Mekantsishvili was fined 6,000 lari ($2,220);
- Nato Bolkvadze was sentenced to five days of administrative detention;
- Shako Bagdoshvili was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention;
- Lasha Dgebuadze was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention;
- Marine Nanava was fined 5,000 lari ($1,850);
- Sandro Sekhniashvili was fined 5,000 lari ($1,850).
Scuffle outside the courthouse
Several reports of scuffles between members of the public and court bailiffs emerged throughout the day as the hearings were under way.
Videos circulating on social media showed bailiffs forcibly removing people from the courthouse.
During the final hearing, activist Ruska Mchedlidze and lawyer Marika Arevadze said court bailiffs used force against them.
“Zonder bailiff Davit Matiashvili and other zonder bailiffs physically assaulted me in the courtyard of this unjust court. Yes, I spat at them, and yes, I spat at them again after the assault, once I was outside the gates.
These bruises will heal, but everyone will remember his disgrace forever. His, and that of the other zonder bailiffs carrying out unlawful orders. There were around 20 police officers standing there, watching as these aggressive men assaulted me, and not one of them intervened,” Mchedlidze wrote on social media.
Activist Lado Jakhua also shared footage showing several court bailiffs dragging Ruska Mchedlidze out of the courthouse courtyard.
Tbilisi activists sentenced over protest
