Prepared by Messenger Staff
44 People Arrested Over Election-Day Unrest in Tbilisi
The number of people detained in connection with the October 4 election-day unrest has risen to 44, after the Interior Ministry announced on October 9 that nine more individuals had been arrested. Ministry said four suspects remain at large, and efforts are ongoing to identify additional participants.
According to the statement, the detained individuals "carried out illegal and violent acts on Atoneli Street," where some "verbally and physically assaulted law enforcers and threw heavy objects and stones at police officers." The statement also said several suspects "attempted to break into the presidential palace, during which they damaged the railings of the palace yard."
Among those arrested is 71-year-old pediatrician and university professor Giorgi Chakhunashvili, who was taken into custody late on October 9 as supporters gathered outside his home in Tbilisi.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation launched on October 4 into four criminal charges, including incitement to violently change Georgia's constitutional order, property damage, unlawful seizure or obstruction of strategic facilities, and participation in group violence.
Among the 44 detainees are five identified organizers of the October 4 mass rally, including opposition figures and opera singer Paata Burchuladze.
The unrest erupted when protesters in downtown Tbilisi tried to enter the presidential palace after rally organizers called for its occupation. Police dispersed the crowd and vowed to detain all those involved.
The Georgian Dream party has described the events as a "foreign-orchestrated coup attempt" and said the government will respond "with full legal force."
Poet Zviad Ratiani Sentenced to Two Years in Prison After Charge Reclassified
Poet Zviad Ratiani has been sentenced to two years in prison after Tbilisi City Court Judge Giorgi Gelashvili reclassified his charge from assaulting a police officer to the lesser offense of "resistance, threat or violence" against an official. The decision was announced in court on October 9.
The case stems from a late-night incident on June 23 near the Georgian Parliament, where Ratiani slapped a police officer in the face. Ratiani admitted to slapping the officer but pleaded not guilty, arguing that his actions should not be considered criminal.
"I don't consider this slap something to be proud of, nor something shameful or criminal - but with the premise that we are living in absurdity," Ratiani said in his final statement before the verdict, according to RFE/RL's Georgian Service.
The court's decision mirrors that of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who was also sentenced to two years in prison after her charge was similarly reclassified. Amaghlobeli was convicted for slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze.
Prosecutors alleged that Ratiani acted "with motives of hatred" and chose Rustaveli Avenue for the incident because of the presence of cameras and police.
Video footage from June 23 shows officers detaining Ratiani and placing him in a police van. In one clip, an officer states that Ratiani had "approached an officer and hit him without any reason." Another video, broadcast by the pro-government channel Rustavi 2, shows Ratiani talking with a man near a police car before slapping him and being detained.
Ratiani, known for his criticism of the Georgian Dream party, was previously detained on November 29, 2024, and sentenced to eight days of administrative detention on charges of petty hooliganism and disobedience to police. He later claimed he was beaten and verbally abused while in custody.