Prepared by Messenger Staff
Two Rustaveli Avenue Protesters Released After Appeals Court Trims Sentences
An appellate court has shortened the prison terms of two men convicted over a violent clash on Rustaveli Avenue, letting them out of custody months before their original release dates.
Tornike Toshkhua and Mindia Shervashidze were each handed one year sentences back in April after being convicted of group violence. Publika reports that the appeals court left the conviction in place but cut the sentences short, setting July 1 as the release date instead of the original deadline. Toshkhua walked out of the courtroom itself upon the ruling, while Shervashidze's release from prison was expected to follow within a matter of hours.
Police detained both men on August 16, 2025, tied to a confrontation that unfolded on August 1 outside parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, where opposition demonstrations have continued nightly since November 2024. Prosecutors alleged the pair took part in an assault on Beka Gotsiridze, a footballer known for his support of Georgian Dream, during the rally. Witnesses among the protesters and onlookers described events differently, saying Gotsiridze started the fight himself and had drawn a knife that slipped from his grip as he fell. He died unexpectedly this past February at 37.
Both men had already spent close to eight months behind bars awaiting trial before being convicted and sentenced on April 1, 2026, with roughly five months still left on their terms at that point.
Georgia's GDP Grew 6.4% in May, Geostat Says
Georgia's real GDP rose 6.4% year-on-year in May 2026, according to rapid estimates released by Geostat on June 30. Average growth for January-May reached 7.8%.
Geostat pointed to the financial and insurance, information and communication, manufacturing, and transportation and storage sectors as the main drivers of growth. Construction was the exception, posting a decline over the period.
International institutions remain broadly optimistic about Georgia's outlook for the year, though most expect the pace to ease going forward. The EBRD raised its 2026 forecast to 6%, projecting a slowdown to 5% in 2027, and said flagship investment projects in real estate, transport and renewables could push growth even higher, while warning that the Middle East conflict may damp momentum through lower tourism revenues and higher energy import costs. The IMF projects growth of 6.5%, describing the economy as resilient, with inflation expected to stay above the National Bank's target until mid-2027. The UN forecasts 5.4% growth for 2026, while the World Bank estimates 5.5%, also projecting average regional growth of 3.5% across the South Caucasus for 2025-2026 as spillovers from trade, labor and capital inflows continue to fade.
