Georgia: Activist Lazare Grigoriadis, who protested against the foreign agents law, is free
Grigoriadis freed in Georgia
Lazare Grigoriadis, a 22-year-old Georgian activist, was greeted with cheers by dozens of people as he walked out of the gates of the prison in Tbilisi’s Gldani district on April 24th.
Grigoriadis was arrested in March 2023 during protests against the “foreign agents” law introduced by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, for the first time. He was charged with assaulting a police officer and damaging property, charges he vehemently denied. Grigoriadis was sentenced to nine years in prison, but was later pardoned by the president.
“First of all, I want to thank president Salome Zourabichvili. A politicized decision was initially made regarding me. The battle continues. See you at the rallies,” said Lazare Grigoriadis to journalists.
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili issued a pardon for Lazare Grigoriadis today, and after completing the necessary procedures, he left prison.
President Zourabichvili pardoned Lazare Grigoriadis on April 12. However, Judge Zviad Sharadze gave 12 days to prepare the operative part of the decision and then maximally used the time allotted to him by law.
“I believed that this young man should not be punished with nine years of imprisonment. I have been thinking about the need for a pardon from the very beginning. However, until the guilty verdict was issued, I could not say anything,” Salome Zourabichvili said on the “Pirveli” TV channel.
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Lazare Grigoriadis case
On April 12, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced 22-year-old Lazare Grigoriadis, arrested in March 2023, to nine years in prison. The decision was announced by judge Zviad Sharadze.
Grigoriadis is the only arrested and convicted participant in the March 2023 protests.
From March 7-9, 2023, massive rallies were held in Tbilisi near the parliament building against the foreign agents bill, and Lazare Grigoriadis actively participated in them.
According to the investigation, on March 7, during a rally on Rustaveli Avenue, Grigoriadis threw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement officers twice.
Additionally, according to the indictment, on March 9, Grigoriadis set fire to a police car, which burned on the spot.
The investigation accused him of committing serious crimes: causing harm to police officers’ health and destroying state property.
Lazare turned 22 while in custody.
