Elisashviil Faces Up to 15 Years in Jail as Prosecutors Charge Him with Attempted ‘Terrorism’
Aleko Elisashvili, a leader of the opposition Lelo/Strong Georgia alliance, faces up to 15 years in prison after prosecutors charged him with attempted terrorism over an alleged effort to set the Tbilisi City Court chancellery on fire. His lawyer said Elisashvili acknowledges the act but does not consider it a crime.
Elisashvili was arrested on November 29. Authorities initially said the case was being investigated under Article 19-187 of the Criminal Code, covering attempted damage or destruction of property. However, on November 30, the Prosecutor’s Office said Elisashvili was charged under Article 19-323, attempted act of terrorism. The new charge carries a possible prison sentence of 10 to 15 years. Prosecutors have requested that the court impose pretrial detention, with a decision expected on December 1.
“An investigation jointly conducted by Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that on November 29, at approximately 4 a.m., Aleko Elisashvili, masked and armed with a firearm, ammunition, and items necessary to carry out a terrorist act, arrived at the Tbilisi City Court,” the Prosecutor’s Office said. “Using a hammer, he shattered the glass of the exterior façade of the court’s chancellery building and entered the interior of the premises,” it added.
After his arrest on November 29, Elisashvili’s lawyer said he acknowledged the attempt as a “deliberate form of protest,” adding that Elisashvili “only regrets that he was minutes short of completing the job.”
Footage released by the Prosecutor’s Office shows the man arriving at the court chancellery at about 4:10 a.m., followed immediately by separate interior footage showing a person inside the office pouring liquid from two bottles onto desks, documents, and other parts of the chancellery interior.
The video then shows the man confronting a court bailiff who appears at the scene, with the two engaging in a physical struggle on the ground. Two additional bailiffs later join in, repeatedly strike the man, and restrain him until he is subdued. Elisashvili’s face is not visible at any point in the footage.
The footage does not show how the man entered the building or whether he broke the glass.
In police custody, Elisashvili was seen with bruises around both eyes. His lawyer said the politician was “brutally beaten” after being handcuffed and “no longer posing a threat.”
Lelo/Strong Georgia stated on November 29 that Elisashvili’s actions were “unacceptable” and “unjustified.”
“At the same time, Aleko Elisashvili has repeatedly been a victim of injustice and violence by the regime, and his acknowledgment confirms that this was a desperate act by one individual against the regime,” the alliance said.
The incident has divided opinion among Georgian observers. Some accept Elisashvili’s confession, while others argue that he may have been coerced into committing the act, or at least into admitting to it. Sceptics point to the bruises visible in the Interior Ministry footage, arguing that they appear to be older injuries. They also note that the suspect in the prosecutor’s video is not identifiable, and some argue that the person tracked on the street appears to be wearing white shoes, while the person inside the chancellery is seen wearing dark-colored shoes.
Elisashvili’s Citizens party joined the Strong Georgia alliance, led by Lelo for Georgia, ahead of the October 26, 2024, parliamentary election and remained a member even as other parties and members left the coalition, including over the decision to participate in the partially boycotted 2025 municipal vote. Elisashvili also briefly fought against Russian forces in Ukraine shortly after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The politician attracted international attention in spring 2024 when he punched Mamuka Mdinaradze during heated debates in Georgia’s Parliament on the Foreign Agents bill. Mdinaradze, who was a Georgian Dream MP and parliamentary majority leader at the time, now heads the State Security Service of Georgia.
Eliashvili’s arrest comes amid several opposition leaders remaining behind bars on various criminal charges, including boycotting Georgian Dream’s parliamentary commission, with some facing additional prosecutions and even convictions.
Also Read:
This post is also available in: ქართული