undefined undefined

Apprehended

Tortured

Violence

Prisoner

Kuchuashvili, a 30-year-old father of two, was among the thousands who took to the streets in May 2024 to protest the so-called "Russian Law"—a bill that mirrored Russia’s infamous “foreign agent” law, threatening civil society, media freedom, and Georgia’s European future. That’s where he was arrested on May 15.

«I am unjustly imprisoned, I have never committed any criminal offenses in my life, I have always been a conscientious citizen. They are trying to influence and intimidate others by arresting us»
—Giorgi Kuchuashvili

On February 4, 2025, after months of delays and procedural setbacks, Judge Mikheil Jincharadze announced the verdict: Four years in prison. No mitigating circumstances were considered. No acknowledgment of the minor nature of the alleged offense. His alleged crime? Throwing a half-filled plastic bottle at a special forces officer during the anti-Russian law protests in May. The medical report confirmed that the officer sustained only a minor injury, one that caused no lasting harm. Yet, the court ruled against him, handing down a severe sentence that many believe was meant to send a chilling message to others who dared to protest. Kuchuashvili’s lawyer, Lasha Tsutskiridze, acknowledges that Giorgi did throw a plastic bottle in the direction of the riot police but firmly rejects the prosecution’s characterization of the act as an attack on a law enforcement officer.

Kuchuashvili’s lawyer, Lasha Tsutskiridze, acknowledges that Giorgi did throw a plastic bottle in the direction of the riot police but firmly rejects the prosecution’s characterization of the act as an attack on a law enforcement officer.

«How can you be indifferent to the current events, what is happening outside? We, the prisoners, may have been arrested to intimidate someone so that they would not come to the demonstration, to scare people into silence and I urge them not to be afraid of this and to be courageous. Every day I feel support from the outside, and I am grateful for this»
—Giorgi Kuchuashvili

«he charge against him is a serious one, requiring the establishment of specific intent and purpose. However, the prosecution has failed to provide any evidence to substantiate such an intent. If the judge still considers this an offense, it should be classified as resistance to police rather than an assault, as these are legally distinct charges carrying significantly different penalties»
—Lawyer Lasha Tsutskiridze

He further explained that the video footage examination failed to identify the person, and the injured special forces unit also cannot point to Kuchuashvili's guilt. This is why, after a month and a half, the only witness in the case, a police officer appeared and testified,which pointed to the person who turned out to be Giorgi Kuchuashvili based on the photo identification protocol.

«We dispute the legal qualification of this case. As a lawyer, I challenge the court to assess whether the actions of the police officer in question were truly aimed at maintaining public order»
—Lasha Tsutskiridze

Despite these inconsistencies, the court ruled against him, handing down a severe sentence that many believe was meant to send a chilling message to others who dared to protest. Tsutskiridze condemned the ruling, stating that the trial was never about justice but about intimidation and political control. The trial was dragged out for months, with repeated unexplained last-minute court cancellations, absent prosecutors, and bureaucratic hurdles. His defense team had already conceded most of the evidence, meaning the case was ready to move to closing arguments months ago. Yet, the court system stalled, making sure his verdict would not be reached until after Georgia’s new president took office—blocking any possibility of a last-minute presidential pardon.

Meanwhile, other detained protesters—like Giorgi Okmelashvili, Saba Meparishvili, and Omar Okribelashvili—faced the same fate. Their hearings also stretched on for months, with strategic delays ensuring they remained in detention well beyond the protests.

«This Russian law did not apply to me personally and my activities, but I understood where it was going and what it meant and what the goals of this law were. It did not serve the interests of the country, and that is why I was at the demonstration»
—Giorgi Kuchuashvili

Human rights advocates and legal experts argue that this was a coordinated effort to prevent a possible presidential pardon before the change in administration.

With the verdict now final, the legal options are limited. Appeals may take months or even years, and pardons seem politically impossible at this stage. The next court hearing, if an appeal is accepted, will be months away. Human rights organizations in Georgia and abroad are calling for international attention, arguing that these trials represent a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism.

※Loading...