Prepared by Messenger Staff
Tbilisi City Court Sentences Two Activists to Three Years for Damaging Surveillance Cameras
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced activists Daniel Mumladze, 23, and Guram Khutashvili, 26, to three years in prison for damaging surveillance cameras during protests on Rustaveli Avenue in December 2024.
Both were detained on separate occasions but faced the same charges. They admitted to the offense and requested a plea bargain that would allow release on parole. However, prosecutors rejected the deal.
Judge Lili Mskhiladze also denied the defense's request to reduce the sentence by one-third, citing the activists' frequent involvement in "violent activities against state interests" as justification for the full prison term.
Defense lawyer Otar Purtseladze stated that the ruling will be appealed.
Protests in Georgia have been ongoing since November 28, when the Georgian Dream government announced it was abandoning the EU integration path a month after contested elections. More than 50 activists, including journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, have been detained.
Nika Gvaramia Warns Against Making Political Prisoner Release the Main Reason to Participate in Elections
Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, has warned that prioritizing the release of political prisoners as the main reason to take part in upcoming local elections could be a strategic mistake. He says that Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili might use this demand to his advantage by releasing the prisoners quickly and then pushing the country into unfair elections.
Gvaramia argues that if the opposition focuses solely on releasing political prisoners, Georgian Dream will win the local elections and retroactively legitimize the controversial parliamentary elections held earlier this year, gaining acceptance both inside Georgia and internationally.
He believes that calling for prisoner release as the main reason to end an election boycott is wrong both in terms of values and political strategy. According to Gvaramia, participating in the upcoming local elections under current conditions could harm Georgia's democratic future.
Instead, Gvaramia insists the opposition should demand a full political reset. This includes new parliamentary elections with a new government, the release of political prisoners, and the repeal of anti-democratic laws introduced after the disputed parliamentary vote.
