In the so-called “group violence” cases related to the civil protests of November–December 2024, the prosecution controlled by Ivanishvili failed to prove the artificially constructed charge of group violence even before the court loyal to Ivanishvili — this is stated in the assessment of the group violence cases published by Transparency International Georgia.

According to the organization, “In these cases, all state institutions — the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the courts — acted in coordination, following a pre-written script, to carry out the political order of the ruling authorities to exemplary punish the peaceful, pro-European protesters.”

“In the so-called ‘group violence’ cases related to the November–December 2024 civil protests, the prosecution failed to prove the artificially constructed charge of group violence against Zviad Tsetskhladze, Vasil Kadzalashvili, Vefkhiya Kasradze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Giorgi Gorgadze, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, Tornike Goshadze, Insaf Aliev, as well as Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Luka Jabua, Andro Chichinadze, Guram Mirtskhulava, Onise Tskhadadze, Valeri Tetrashvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Revaz Kiknadze and Sergei Kukharchuk — even before the loyal courts. Despite prosecutors’ efforts to blame peaceful, pro-European demonstrators for injuries allegedly suffered by dozens of police officers recognized as victims, and for nearly 2 million GEL in damage to state property, the clan-run court of Murusidze-Chinchaladze — sanctioned by the U.S. and the UK for large-scale corruption — still failed to see any causal link, not even the smallest, between the actions attributed to peaceful demonstrators and the harm claimed by police officers and other witnesses.”

However, although the courts refused to qualify the unfoundedly imputed actions as group violence, the defendants were still found guilty — but for “organizing or actively participating in group actions that grossly violate public order or are connected with explicit disobedience to a lawful demand of a public official.” As a result, despite avoiding the 6–9 year or 4–6 year prison terms under the original charge, three individuals received 2.5-year sentences, while the rest were imprisoned for 2 years under the revised qualification.

The organization states that it is clear that, as in other protest-related cases, justice was not served. Only the political order of the regime was executed, aimed at punishing protest participants with imprisonment on any fabricated grounds. Judges Mchedlishvili and Galustashvili who issued the guilty verdicts acted not as independent and impartial judges bound by the Constitution and the law, but as political judges executing the will of Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream, thereby undermining the principle of the rule of law.

“Thus, in the two protest-related cases of November–December 2024, Zviad Tsetskhladze, Andro Chichinadze and others were prosecuted under the charge of ‘group violence’; however, the prosecution failed to present evidence substantiating the charge even before the court. The courts could not establish any causal link between the actions of the protesters and the harm allegedly inflicted on police officers or state property. The original charge of group violence was replaced with Article 226 (‘group actions’), which punishes actions that ‘grossly violate public order or are connected with explicit disobedience to a lawful demand of an authority representative.’ Altering the qualification at the stage of delivering the judgment contradicts the right to a fair trial guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, since the defendants were not given the opportunity to defend themselves against the modified charge.”

The court rulings lack justification, as they were based on questionable evidence obtained in violation of the law. The courts relied on video recordings illegally taken by Ministry of Internal Affairs officers, which any independent and impartial court would consider inadmissible evidence.

Article 226 of the Criminal Code criminalizes “group actions.” According to Supreme Court practice, proving group actions requires evidence demonstrating prior agreement or organized group behavior. No such evidence was presented, meaning the elements of the crime did not exist.

In this case, all state agencies — the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the courts — acted in coordination, following a pre-determined script, to carry out the political order to exemplary punish peaceful, pro-European protesters. Pro-government propaganda media also supported this effort.

Overall, the court rulings are unlawful, unsubstantiated, unfair, and politically motivated. As in the cases of other protest participants, justice was not served — only the regime’s political order was executed, aimed at imprisoning protest participants on any fabricated grounds,” the statement reads.