All eight individuals arrested on charges of organizing, leading, and participating in group violence during the protests remain in custody.

This decision was made by Judge Irakli Khuskivadze of the Tbilisi City Court.

The decision prompted dissatisfaction and noise from the public gathered in the court yard in support of the detainees.

During today's court session, the preventive measure imposed on the detainees was reviewed and upheld.

The prosecution had requested that the most severe preventive measure, imprisonment, remain in force.

Prosecutors argued that there is a risk of the detainees fleeing, influencing witnesses, and obstructing the investigation. They also stated that the investigation is ongoing and several investigative actions need to be carried out, and that the detainees might interfere with the investigation while being free.

The defense lawyers did not manage to register an objection to the motion, as both they and the defendants left the courtroom in protest.

Throughout the day, the lawyers repeatedly requested a change of the courtroom, but the judge did not approve the motion, even after one of the accused, a 21-year-old, became ill due to the lack of ventilation in the courtroom.

As a result of the lawyers leaving the courtroom in protest, five public defenders were appointed to represent the detainees.

Among the detainees, four—Nikoloz Javakhishvili, Giorgi Gorgadze, Zviad Tsetskhladze, and Irakli Miminoshvili—are minors, and another detainee, Insaf Aliyev, does not speak Georgian. As a result, they were assigned mandatory defense.

It was the public defenders who expressed their position on the prosecution's motion. They did not agree with keeping the detainees in custody. According to the defense lawyers, the court should have left the detainees without a preventive measure.

For the record, three of the detainees—Zviad Tsetskhladze, Vepkhia Kasradze, and Vasil Kadzelashvili—are accused of organizing and leading group violence. They face 6 to 9 years of imprisonment.

Five of the detainees—Giorgi Gorgadze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Insaf Aliyev, Tornike Goshadze, and Nikoloz Javakhishvili—are accused of participating in group violence. They face 4 to 6 years of imprisonment.