Judge Sentences Nika Gvaramia to 12 Days in Prison
On December 6, Tbilisi City court judge Koba Chagunava sentenced Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the opposition alliance Coalition for Change, to 12 days in prison on administrative charges of petty hooliganism (Article 166) and disobeying lawful police orders (Article 172).
Gvaramia’s transfer from the Marneuli detention isolator to the Tbilisi City Court occurred without prior notification to his lawyer or family members. After Gvaramia’s request for legal representation, his lawyers had requested a trial postponement, arguing they had not been given access to case files, which were reportedly provided by the Ministry of Interior just before the trial began. Nonetheless, the hearing proceeded.
“There was no evidence in the case to confirm that any violation of the law had occurred, yet the court made this illegal decision,” said Beka Kvinikadze, one of Gvaramia’s lawyers. “This decision was expected; I don’t think anyone anticipated anything else,” said Zurab Japaridze, another leader of the Coalition for Change.
Gvaramia was arrested during a police raid at the office of the opposition party Droa when he demanded to enter the premises. According to live broadcast reports, a verbal altercation ensued, and Gvaramia was violently detained by police, apparently getting injured in the process, and dragged unconscious into a police car and taken to the Marneuli detention center.
The police raids on opposition party offices and activists’ homes began on December 4, following violent dispersals of rallies. These protests erupted after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement to suspend Georgia’s EU integration “until 2028”. Riot police have been accused of using excessive force, with watchdog organizations and the Public Defender’s Office describing their actions tantamount to torture.
In response to the escalating political unrest, opposition parties announced the creation of a registry to document individuals targeted by government actions and identify police officers responsible for the brutality. Politicians also emphasized that the actions of riot police violated both the Constitution of Georgia, particularly regarding the inviolability of human dignity, and the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture.
Also Read:
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- 05/12/2024 – Leading MEPs Condemn Repressions in Georgia, Call for EU Sanctions
- 05/12/2024 – Opposition Parties Launch Joint Information Center
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