Tornike Goshadze was arrested during the protests near the Parliament. The prosecutor's office charged him, along with four other individuals, with participating in group violence (Article 225, Part 2 of the Criminal Code), which carries a sentence of 4 to 6 years in prison. (Three other individuals are accused of organizing and leading group violence). The arrest process, according to Tornike's account relayed by his lawyer, was forceful:
«They kicked the door in and entered while they were sleeping. After searching the house, they asked - How much are they paying you to attend the protests?»
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«I will be proud of my son, and their children will be ashamed of their mothers and fathers»
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«I cannot be at peace even on the moon when I know my country and people are in such a state»
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Tornike Goshadze is a 24-year-old unemployed young man from a socially vulnerable family, living with his mother and sister. He actively shared the spirit of the protest rallies on Rustaveli Avenue and, as is known, frequently attended them, especially after being emotionally affected by footage showing special forces beating citizens. The case initiated against him and 7 other protest participants (Vasil Kadzelashvili, Vepkhia Kasradze, Zviad Tsetskhladze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Giorgi Gorgadze, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, Insaf Aliyev), which Transparency International Georgia assesses as "politically motivated" after a detailed study, aimed to intimidate society, especially students and young people.
The investigation of the case, which lasted over three months, concluded, and a pre-trial hearing was held on March 6, 2025. However, Transparency International Georgia's study of 14 volumes of the case file determined that there is simply no legally obtained and convincing evidence proving the defendants' guilt in the case file. The organization concluded that the defendants are innocent because "the elements of the crime they are charged with are not present."
The trial at the Tbilisi City Court, presided over by Judge Irakli Khuskivadze, also proceeded under tense and controversial circumstances. The judge ordered all eight defendants remanded in custody, and furthermore, he made the decision without even retiring to deliberate. This was preceded by lawyers protesting the conditions during the hearing, which led to the judge appointing public defenders for the defendants and the forceful removal of family members from the courtroom. The report also critically assesses the lack of judicial control over searches – for example, Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili approved 21 motions to legalize searches post-factum in a single day, indicating the impossibility of a thorough review.
According to the organization's analysis, the prosecution's main "evidence" – video/audio material uploaded to social networks and internet portals – was likely obtained through covert surveillance without court authorization and is therefore inadmissible. According to the 'fruit of the poisonous tree' doctrine, other materials derived from such evidence (search protocols, expert reports) also lose their legal force.
Besides the inadmissibility of the evidence, Transparency International emphasizes that the crime defined by Article 225 of the Criminal Code (group violence) requires the existence of a pre-organized group, which is not confirmed in this case. The majority of the defendants did not even know each other before their arrest, and their actions, if any took place, were spontaneous and not organized. Furthermore, no causal link can be established between the alleged actions of the defendants and the specific injuries sustained by the police officers recognized as victims, which also precludes charging them with other result-based crimes (such as assault or bodily harm).
The pressure was not limited to Tornike. His mother, Marizi (Maria) Kobakhidze, who actively defends her son's rights, was summoned to court months after her son's arrest regarding an administrative case of blocking the road on January 23rd. Marizi herself assesses this act as direct pressure: "It doesn't matter because they want it this way and decided so." She resiliently continues the fight and openly criticizes the system that imprisoned her son
Tornike Goshadze himself maintains his resolve in a letter sent from prison. He asks his mother to smile and writes that while he once dreamed of leaving the country, his main desire now is to stay in his homeland, even behind bars
He urges his family to be cautious because "The regime is in such panic, none of us know what they are capable of." The perseverance of Tornike and his mother, against the backdrop of the controversial trial and the pressure exerted on them, has become a symbol of defending one's civic position.
In conclusion, according to Transparency International Georgia, this case is an artificially created, politically motivated prosecution based on inadmissible evidence and lacking the elements of a crime. It represents an attempt by the ruling party to discredit the protest movement and intimidate participants, which is part of a pre-planned disinformation campaign by the authorities regarding an alleged attempt to stage a "Euromaidan."
