Nana Sander, convicted in connection with the October 4 case, leaves penitentiary institution

Nana Sander, one of those convicted in connection with the October 4 protest, has left the penitentiary institution. She was released based on a plea agreement. Upon leaving the prison, Nana Sander stated, "The 13-month torture has come to an end."

"The 13-month torture—in the literal sense, both psychological and physical—has ended. I am free. Naturally, I am happy to be out, but I am deeply troubled by the fact that, in addition to prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, there are many innocent people behind bars—thousands of individuals who have been unjustly sentenced. For instance, a mother of two children receiving a four-year sentence over a 30,000-lari debt. The prisons are filled with people of all ages—young people, adults, and the elderly; I even met a 75-year-old in a dire state. In short, human rights are being violated everywhere—in both women’s and men’s prisons," said Nana Sander.

It should be recalled that, in connection with the events that took place near the Atoneli Palace on October 4, one of the convicted individuals, Nana Sanders, was charged under Article 225, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia—which pertains to the organization of group violence and carries a penalty of 6 to 9 years of imprisonment. She was also charged under Article 317 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns calls for the violent alteration of Georgia’s constitutional order and the overthrow of state authority—an offense punishable by up to 9 years of imprisonment.