21 Year Old Protester Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, June 13, 2025
21-year-old Mate Devidze was sentenced to four years and six months in prison on charges of attacking police officers during a protest crackdown in November. The ruling was handed down by Judge Nino Galustashvili in a courtroom filled with tension and heavy security.
The verdict followed months of legal proceedings surrounding Devidze, who was arrested in the early hours of November 19, 2024, during a forceful police operation that broke up an all-night opposition demonstration on Melikishvili Avenue. The rally had called for fresh elections following contested results from the October 26 vote, which opposition parties claimed was marred by fraud.
Initially held on administrative charges, Devidze was not released after the mandatory two-day period. Instead, authorities reclassified his case as a criminal matter. He was later charged under Article 353¹ of Georgia's Criminal Code, which deals with violence against police during the performance of their duties.
At the center of the prosecution's case was footage showing Devidze running from police and swinging an object resembling a stick during the dispersal. The Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed he used the object to strike officers and cause injury. Three policemen testified to having been struck by him during the incident: Giorgi Estatishvili, Bidzina Zhamerashvili, and Levan Kodelashvili.
Zhamerashvili said he was hit with a stick while responding to a commotion involving opposition figure Nika Melia. Estatishvili claimed he was struck in the face and shoulder by what he believed to be a flagpole. Kodelashvili testified that a man with curly hair hit his wrist, leaving redness but not requiring medical care. Despite these claims, none of the officers sought hospital treatment.
The defense raised doubts about the reliability of these accounts. Devidze's lawyers pointed to inconsistencies in the testimonies and questioned how officers identified him in the video. They argued that Estatishvili, for example, failed to clearly place himself in the footage and that Zhamerashvili described being hit in the back despite claiming the blow came from the front.
Devidze maintained throughout the trial that he acted out of fear and exhaustion. During the final hearing, he told the court he had not slept in two days and insisted there was no intention to cause harm. His legal team argued the act was instinctive, not aggressive.
The sentencing triggered emotional scenes in Tbilisi City Court. Supporters and family members cried openly after the ruling was read. Several individuals collapsed in the corridors and had to be removed by bailiffs. Former President Salome Zurabishvili was present and criticized the decision, calling it "shameful" and warning of political consequences in the days ahead. "He will remain a symbol of dignity for us," she told reporters outside the court.
In his closing words, Devidze told the courtroom, "You sacrifice us to follow your commander's orders," before stepping out, refusing to remain for the announcement of the sentence. Earlier, he had turned to his supporters and said, "I won't be seeing you in a while."
Devidze, a musician from the eastern town of Telavi, had been traveling to the capital to participate in demonstrations in the weeks following the disputed election. He turned 21 while in custody, having already spent seven months in pre-trial detention.
The ruling comes at a time of continued political unrest in Georgia. June 12 marked the 197th consecutive day of demonstrations, and more verdicts are expected soon in the cases of other protesters arrested during the same period. Activists and opposition figures say the crackdown on demonstrators is part of a broader campaign to silence dissent.
In his last words before leaving the courtroom, Devidze quoted a line that has since spread across social media: "To look for light in endless darkness."
