“Solidarity with Zurab Menteshashvili — the first prisoner in Georgia who must spend 9 months in prison for going to a demonstration and engaging in a fully non-violent act,” writes Tamar Oniani, Chair of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, on social media.

According to Oniani, the country already has many political prisoners, but the case of Zurab Menteshashvili represents a completely new chapter even within a system that has already unjustly prosecuted numerous individuals.

“Zurab Menteshashvili is the first prisoner who is being prosecuted, in terms of rights-based content, for the freedom of assembly, on a formal basis that was itself created to restrict that very freedom;

It was created through a model known in legal literature as ‘personalized legislation,’ when ruling elites use legislative bodies to consolidate power or persecute political opponents.

These amendments were initiated on October 13, 2025, introducing criminal liability for persons previously subjected to administrative penalties (for actions defined under Article 174¹, parts 9 or 10). The administrative code provisions are referential and direct to the Law of Georgia on Assemblies and Demonstrations, which from a legal drafting perspective is a major challenge (see Venice Commission assessments criticizing such referential norms).

The amendments were adopted in an expedited procedure.

It is on the basis of this article that Zurab Menteshashvili was convicted.

However, what could the judge have done (besides acquittal)?

He could have initially not used imprisonment as a preventive measure and referred the case to the Constitutional Court for review.

Since that did not happen, could anything else have been done to at least mitigate the defendant’s situation at this stage?

The sentence could have been 7 months, equal to the time already served as a preventive measure. That did not happen — he was sentenced to 9 months. And those additional 2 months are nothing other than the judiciary’s own participation in increasing pressure on the freedom of assembly,” Oniani wrote.

For reference, Zurab Menteshashvili, who was detained for re-blocking Rustaveli Avenue, was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 9 months in prison.

The decision was made by Tbilisi City Court Judge Nino Galustashvili.

Menteshashvili was arrested on November 1, 2025. The investigation was launched under Article 347(1) of the Criminal Code, which concerns violation of the rules for holding assemblies or demonstrations.

He had previously been detained for a similar act on October 24, 2025, in an administrative proceeding and was sentenced to seven days of administrative detention. Because the act was repeated, a criminal case was initiated under the Criminal Code.