Activist Giorgi Mumladze Granted 3,000 GEL Bail by Court

“Movement for Georgia” activist Giorgi Mumladze, who was apprehended by the police on April 14 during a protest near the Georgian Dream office, was granted bail of 3,000 GEL by the Tbilisi City Court on April 14.

According to Mumladze’s attorney, the court partially granted the prosecution’s request for a bail of 5,000 GEL for the detainee. The lawyer stated that Mumladze will be released from custody upon payment of half the bail amount, which is 1,500 GEL. In order to gather the funds, activists have already initiated a fundraising effort and shared the account number on social media.

The pre-trial hearing in the case is scheduled for June 1.

Prehistory

Giorgi Mumladze was arrested on April 14 by law enforcement officers, along with four fellow activists, during a rally held near the Georgian Dream office. The demonstrators were advocating for the repeal of the 5-day quarantine requirement for individuals who relocated from the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali to other parts of Georgia.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has opened a case against Mumladze, accusing him of charges that include resisting a law enforcement officer and physical assault under the first section of Article 353 of the Criminal Code. This offense carries a potential sentence of 2-5 years of imprisonment. Video footage circulated by the media shows Mumladze apparently attempting to bite the officer’s hand during the arrest.

Members of the “Movement for Georgia” criticize the initiation of criminal proceedings against the activists, claiming that the police arrested Mumladze only because he was being “choked” and had to force the officer to let him go.

The NGO “Georgian Democracy Initiative” also criticized the “initiation of criminal proceedings” against the activist. According to the organization, this is “another step towards an authoritarian regime”.

Simultaneously, the state inspector has initiated an investigation into Giorgi Mumladze’s allegations of the law enforcement officer’s purported abuse of official authority through the use of violence. This investigation is being conducted under Article 333 of the Civil Code, specifically subsection “b,” which carries a potential sentence of 5-8 years of imprisonment.

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