In Surprise Move, Prosecution Softens Charges Against Detained Activist
In a surprise move, prosecutors reclassified the charges against Saba Skhvitaridze, an activist and member of the opposition Ahali party, reducing the severity of the criminal accusations as courts continue to try and sentence dozens of those arrested amid protests on serious charges.
Skhvitaridze was initially charged with the attack against a police officer resulting in health damage, carrying a jail penalty of 7 to 11 years. As the proceedings entered their final phase, however, the prosecutors shared the arguments of the defense that Skhvitaridze couldn’t know the man was a police officer, leading to a reduced charge of “intentional minor bodily harm,” punishable by a fine, correctional labor, house arrest, or one to three years in prison.
Skhvitaridze continues to maintain his innocence, arguing he acted in self-defense. Despite the reduced charges, Judge Jvebe Nachkebia denied the defense’s request to release him from pre-trial custody.
“Since it was confirmed that the defendant may not have clearly known that the individuals were police officers performing their official duties, we therefore made an objective and fair decision regarding the change of the legal qualification,” prosecutor Roin Khintibidze told journalists following the court hearing on July 24.
The charges stem from a December 4, 2024, incident near the Courtyard Marriott Hotel at Tbilisi’s Liberty Square, close to the protest epicenter, during the first week of ongoing protests. The confrontation broke out after a group emerged from the hotel following an opposition meeting and was approached by men in black plain clothes wearing medical masks.
According to the defense, which cites video evidence from the scene, the incident incident when opposition member Teona Chalidze pulled down the hood of one of the men, reportedly believing he was a thug, a so-called Titushka. Violent Titushki attacks were frequently reported during the early weeks of the protests.
The man responded by slapping Chalidze in the face, which, according to the defense, prompted Skhvitaridze to intervene as part of self-defense. The prosecution later identified the man, who wore no insignia at the time of the incident, as police officer Mirian Kavtaradze and as the alleged victim.
Skhvitaridze was detained on December 5, a day after the incident. He later alleged inhuman treatment at the hands of police, including beating and rape threats.
On June 24, Amnesty International, a legal watchdog, addressed a letter to Georgia’s Prosecutor General, urging authorities “to ensure a prompt, impartial, independent and effective investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of Saba Skhvitaridze and to bring all those responsible to justice in fair trials.”
Dozens of those arrested in the context of protests since November 2024 are currently tried on criminal charges, with seven already sentenced to years in jail. The proceedings continue as no police officer has been held accountable despite numerous documented abuses during dispersals.
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