Eight Protesters Sentenced to Two Years in Prison After December Rallies
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Tbilisi City Court on September 2 sentenced eight men detained during last year's anti-government demonstrations to prison terms of two to two and a half years, following a last-minute reclassification of their charges.
Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili announced that Zviad Tsetskhladze, 20, Vepkhia Kasradze, 54, and Vasil Kadzelashvili, 51, would each serve two years and six months in prison. Giorgi Gorgadze, 21, Irakli Miminoshvili, 19, Insaf Aliev, 34, Tornike Goshadze, 26, and Nikoloz Javakhishvili, 20, were sentenced to two years.
The case, widely referred to as that of the "smiling boys" after photos of the young defendants circulated on social media, has drawn significant public attention. Half of the group were under 21 at the time of their arrest.
The eight had originally faced prosecution under Article 225 of Georgia's Criminal Code for organizing or participating in group violence, an offense carrying four to six years in prison. Prosecutors alleged that Tsetskhladze, Kasradze, and Kadzelashvili organized violent groups during the November-December 2024 protests, while the others assaulted riot police.
On September 2, Judge Mchedlishvili downgraded the charges to Article 226, which covers organizing or engaging in a group activity that disrupts public order. The offense is punishable by fines, community service, house arrest, or up to three years in prison.
Defense lawyers rejected the prosecution's case, arguing there was no evidence the defendants knew each other, coordinated their actions, or acted as a group. They also said video footage presented by prosecutors had been edited and failed to prove any of the men injured police officers.
"The charges were incomprehensible to me, and I met these boys in the court boxes," defendant Giorgi Gorgadze told the court in his closing remarks on August 27. "I didn't even know that we were prosecuted in the same case. I expect a guilty verdict. Justice has been lost in this country."
Seven of the defendants were detained on December 4, 2024, while Javakhishvili was arrested earlier, on November 30, during the first days of demonstrations that followed Georgian Dream's decision to suspend the EU integration process.
Zviad Tsetskhladze, a law student and leader of the youth activist group Dafioni, was accused of organizing violence and planning attacks between November 28 and 30. Prosecutors cited three videos: one of him explaining shield use, one interview with Mtavari TV, and a 14-minute Dafioni video in which he appeared beaten by riot police. His lawyers said the evidence was insufficient and noted he was in Adjara for his grandfather's funeral during part of the period in question.
Vepkhia Kasradze and Vasil Kadzelashvili were accused of leading group violence. The case rested on a video that prosecutors claimed showed them discussing attacks on property owned by Georgian Dream officials. The defense disputed the authenticity of the footage and argued it had no value in proving they directed others.
Giorgi Gorgadze was identified in a video as a masked man throwing an object. Lawyers argued the footage could not establish what was thrown, at whom, or whether it caused injury. Medical records of injured officers included in the case did not directly implicate him.
Irakli Miminoshvili was accused of throwing stones at police. The prosecution's case relied on video evidence, but the Samkharauli Bureau, a state forensic agency, found the footage had been edited, including with inserted scenes.
Tornike Goshadze faced similar accusations. Forensic experts confirmed his video evidence had also been spliced. Lawyers emphasized that no witnesses saw him injure police or damage property, and even alleged victims described incidents in different locations.
Insaf Aliev, an ethnic Azerbaijani with limited Georgian language skills, was accused of throwing a stone. His lawyers said he was caught up in the protests unintentionally after being sprayed by water cannons. They argued no evidence proved he acted in coordination with others.
Nikoloz Javakhishvili was charged with launching a pyrotechnic device at police. His defense said the video evidence was a compilation of different days and showed fireworks fired into the air, not at officers.
Defense lawyers described the case as politically motivated, pointing to inconsistencies in witness testimony and the contested video evidence. Supporters of the defendants have framed the trial as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Georgia.
