The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has formally charged 13 individuals with attempting to seize and block a strategic and particularly important object, as well as participating in group violence, in connection with the events in Tbilisi on October 4. This was announced by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Amiran Guluashvili during a briefing.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, charges have been brought against: Beka Machavariani, Aleksandre Gogoladze, Eva Shashiashvili, Giorgi Rurua, Vakhtang Pitskhelauri, Davit Sturua, Manuchar Mikeladze, Aleksandre Khabeishvili, Kakhaber Mzhavanadze, Tornike Mchedlishvili, Abo Neveriani, Sergo Megrelishvili, and Davit Zhghenti.

According to Amiran Guluashvili, the Prosecutor's Office will petition the court within the legally prescribed timeframe to impose pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint for the detained accused.

"As is known to the public, the following individuals have been detained on charges of organizing and leading group violence, attempting to seize a strategic and particularly important object, and inciting the violent change of Georgia's constitutional order and the overthrow of the state government: Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze.

We remind the public once again that Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, and Irakli Nadiradze, in order to mobilize and unite citizens aggressively disposed toward the government and involve them in violent actions, made public calls several days before the local self-government elections to violently change Georgia's constitutional order and overthrow the state government. Specifically, the accused called on society for the necessity of a revolution, in which aggressively disposed citizens should participate. According to their statements, they would jointly overthrow the state government, for which they made statements about the necessity of mass involvement and unification of certain groups in society.

On the day of the local self-government elections, October 4, all five accused, along with other individuals, decided to organize group violent actions, and on the same day, at the protest rally held on Freedom Square, Paata Burchuladze informed the gathered citizens of the action plan they had developed, according to which they were to immediately seize individual representatives of the government and carry out various violent actions.

After Paata Burchuladze announced the criminal plan, Murtaz Zodelava called on the rally participants to move jointly toward the administrative building of the President of Georgia, which they would seize by force, and instructed them not to obey law enforcement officers. Following this call, the organizers of the violent action and other participants moved from Freedom Square toward the President's administrative building. On the streets adjacent to Orbeliani Square, group violence participants, using heavy objects and setting fires, deliberately destroyed municipal and privately owned property located in the adjacent territory, using part of it to erect barricades on the roadway to resist law enforcement officers and hinder the restoration of public order.

Today, the Tbilisi City Court fully endorsed the Prosecutor's Office's motion and imposed pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint on Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze.

It is known to the public that, within the framework of the ongoing investigation into this criminal case by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 13 additional individuals have been detained: Beka Machavariani, Aleksandre Gogoladze, Eva Shashiashvili, Giorgi Rurua, Vakhtang Pitskhelauri, Davit Sturua, Manuchar Mikeladze, Aleksandre Khabeishvili, Kakhaber Mzhavanadze, Tornike Mchedlishvili, Abo Neveriani, Sergo Megrelishvili, and Davit Zhghenti. The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has brought charges against these individuals for attempting to seize a strategic and particularly important object, as well as participating in group violence.

According to the investigation ongoing at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the accused, in accordance with the organizers' calls, as a group, with the aim of seizing a strategic object, launched an assault in the evening hours of October 4, physically damaged the protective fence, and entered the grounds of the President's Administration of Georgia. To seize the building and overcome the resistance of the mobilized law enforcement officers on the grounds, the accused expressed aggression toward them, threw iron structures and objects, and inflicted physical and verbal abuse, thereby endangering their lives and health.

At the same time, individuals participating in group violence deliberately dismantled, damaged, and destroyed by fire municipal and privately owned property located in the adjacent territory. As a result of their actions, the protective fence of the strategic object - the President's Administration building - was significantly damaged. Additionally, infrastructure, municipal, and privately owned property in the adjacent territory were damaged and destroyed. Due to the active actions carried out by government representatives to protect public order and restore law and order, the criminal plan to seize the strategic object - the administrative building of the President of Georgia - could not be carried out.

Law enforcement officers detained the accused on October 6 based on a judge's ruling. All 13 individuals have been charged under Article 19-222, Part 2(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempt to seize strategic and/or particularly important objects, committed by a group, punishable by imprisonment from two to four years) and Article 225, Part 2 (participation in group violence, punishable by imprisonment from six to nine years)," stated Amiran Guluashvili.