“I consider myself innocent in both parts. I have been in prison for nine months and not for a single moment have I felt remorse,” said Nana Sander, who was detained in connection with the events that took place on October 4 near the Orbeliani Palace.

She made the statement while using her right to deliver a lengthy final address in court.

“I am not afraid of losing my life, I am not afraid of losing my freedom, I am not afraid of losing property, I am not afraid of losing anything for what and whom I love. I have a German surname, but I am ethnically Georgian. My mother raised me as Georgian - since I was three years old she taught me ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ and Georgian dances… I didn’t become a dancer, but from ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin’ I learned self-sacrifice for love, for friends, and for comrades…

I want to help those who are fighting for this country and want to save it. I want my country to be saved morally and through values.

Police also used violence against me. During the November–December 2024 protests I was on the streets for 18 days and nights; there were raids every day, they chased us from street to street, and they beat people to the point of death. I never even attempted to respond to violence with violence. On October 4, yes, I was an independent actor, and even before October 4 I was an independent actor. It may have seemed like we had a common plan, but I had never even seen Mr. Zodelava physically - I saw him for the first time on stage. I went to confront him because I believed people were being sacrificed because of him.

There is no footage showing that I used violence against anyone. There is no evidence at all.

On October 4, a provocation was staged against the people; the palace fence had been cut. It is not possible for one witness to say one thing and another witness something else… My arrest was decided not in Georgia but earlier, in Germany.

In both parts I consider myself innocent. I have been in prison for nine months and not for a single moment have I felt remorse; if my actions had harmed anyone, I would have felt at least some remorse toward myself.

What troubles me is that for nine months there has been inhumane treatment - my torture has not ended,” Sander said.

For context, Nana Sander is charged under Article 225(1) of the Criminal Code, which concerns organizing group violence and carries a penalty of 6 to 9 years in prison. She is also charged under Article 317, which refers to calls for the violent change of Georgia’s constitutional order and the overthrow of state authority, carrying a penalty of up to 9 years in prison.