Valeri Tetrashvili

Apprehended

Tortured

Violence

Prisoner

V. Tetrashvili

Valeri
Tetrashvili

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has arrested Valeri Tetrashvili, born in 1997, during a protest under Article 225, Part 2 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to participation in group violence. This offense carries a sentence of 4 to 6 years of imprisonment. According to the MIA, Tetrashvili took part in group violence during the protest, disobeyed law enforcement officers, and threw various objects at them.

However, Tetrashvili’s lawyer, Irma Chkadua, argues that her client did not participate in group violence. She claims that the prosecution’s only evidence consists of media footage, which shows Tetrashvili throwing a used firework’s cardboard casing at law enforcement. However, this action did not cause any physical harm. The lawyer also states that Tetrashvili had no prior contact with the other detainees and met them for the first time in court.

«Our faith and glorious history do not allow us to surrender! I believe in you and know that we will achieve victory with honor!»

Tetrashvili's case is being considered alongside 10 other detainees, including Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Revaz Kiknadze, Jano Archaiya, Guram Mirtskhulava, Luka Jabua, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Ruslan Sivakov, and Sergi Kukharchuk. All of them have been charged under the same article.

At the January 11 hearing, the lawyers of 10 out of the 11 defendants filed motions for their release, alternatively expressing readiness to accept bail. Tetrashvili’s lawyer proposed a bail of 20,000 GEL. However, Judge Ketevan Jachvadze upheld the previous ruling by Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili, keeping Tetrashvili in two months of pretrial detention.

«This is beyond ridiculous at this point, yet I still find myself laughing when I think about it. Did I study, struggle, and reach a certain level in life just to be judged by a diploma-less 'president' [illegitimate, of course] and a diploma-less judge? And for what? To convict us—people who truly love our homeland and our people—without evidence, without a justified accusation, and with such extreme measures? We all know what this behavior signifies." Writes Valeri from prison, expressing his gratitude to Georgians for their solidarity and support.»

The substantive hearing of the case was initially scheduled for January, but the prosecution requested an extension of the investigation period, delaying the process by another two months. Their argument? They needed more time to gather evidence. The judge granted the request, but the defense argues that the prosecution had already been given two months and had not used this time efficiently. According to the defense, the extension serves only to artificially prolong the process.

On March 5, Judge Ketevan Jachvadze was replaced by a new judge, Irakli Shvangiradze, who had taken the oath in December 2024. Human rights advocates claim that the judge’s replacement is part of a "delaying tactic" aimed at prolonging the case. Lawyer Guja Avsajanishvili requested Judge Shvangiradze’s recusal, as they had previously been informed that Judge Nino Tarashvili was supposed to handle the pretrial hearing. However, Tarashvili recused herself from the case without explanation. The defense expressed concerns that reviewing 13 volumes of case materials within a few hours would be impossible, as both parties are required to submit evidence five days before the trial, which necessitates sufficient time for the judge to familiarize themselves with the case. Additionally, Shvangiradze was a prosecutor before becoming a judge.

The defense also requested the recusal of prosecutor Vazha Todua, who has been included in the sanctions list by Baltic states. The judge rejected both motions. Despite multiple requests from the defense, the court again refused to consider an alternative preventive measure and upheld the pretrial detention.

According to Tetrashvili’s lawyer, the prosecution lacks sufficient evidence against the detainees. The lawyer points out that the footage obtained by the prosecution clearly shows that the piece of firework casing thrown by Tetrashvili did not hit any law enforcement officers and simply fell to the ground. "In reality, it was the remnant of an already used firework, merely a piece of paper. Throwing it could not have physically harmed an officer," Chkadua asserts.

Furthermore, none of the injured police officers have directly accused Tetrashvili. Among the 97 witnesses summoned by the prosecution, most are police officers, including those officially recognized as victims. However, none of them could specifically identify any of the detainees as the person responsible for their injuries. Despite this, the prosecution claims that officers were harmed as a result of the collective actions of the detainees.

«If the prosecution has any evidence against Tetrashvili or the other detainees, they must present concrete proof of coordination, prior agreements, or organized actions. However, no such evidence exists. The court must consider that the charges in this case are unsubstantiated and that the presumption of innocence must be fully upheld »
—states Chkadua

Valeri Tetrashvili continues to exercise his right to remain silent and has not presented his position during the trial. His lawyer maintains that he does not know any of the other detainees and did not participate in group violence. This raises doubts about the accuracy of the prosecution’s arguments and the fairness of the case.