Nikoloz (Nika) Katsia, a protester and journalist detained in December, was acquitted of serious drug charges, becoming the third defendant to be found not guilty among those arrested in the context of pro-EU, anti-Georgian Dream protests since last November.
Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili delivered the verdict on September 3. Katsia, 42, had been charged with illegally purchasing and possessing a large quantity of narcotics, an offense punishable by eight to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment. Katsia pleaded not guilty, and his defense argued that the drugs were planted by police in connection with his activism, noting the absence of video evidence or neutral witnesses to the search.
Katsia walked free from the courtroom to the cheers of the supporters who had gathered in and outside the courthouse.
“The truth shows me greater than I can be,” Katsia told the court in his closing remarks shortly before the verdict. “There is not a single evidence except for evil and lies.”
Katsia, detained on December 7, was among six people arrested on drug charges in December who have all argued that police planted substances over their involvement in protests. The cases attracted scrutiny over repeated patterns of absence of video evidence or any credible neutral witnesses of personal searches. Two defendants in such cases – Giorgi Akhobadze and Tevdore Abramovi – were acquitted, marking the only not guilty verdicts so far, while Russian activist Anton Chechin, in whose case prosecutors presented an interpreter as “neutral witness” – something that the defense disputed – was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail.
According to Katsia’s lawyer, Nino Lominadze, law enforcement officers captured the journalist as he was leaving his home for protests, put him in a car, and drove him to another location, where they searched him on the street.
Prosecutors claimed that a polyethylene bag containing 14 grams of cocaine was discovered in the left pocket of Katsia’s jacket. As in other similar cases, police justified the absence of video footage by alleging that Katsia resisted during the search.
The defense, however, cited the absence of video footage showing the search, findings from the Samkharauli Bureau, a key public forensics agency, which detected no traces of narcotic substances in Katsia’s hair sample, as well as results of a separate examination indicating that his fingerprints were not found on the seized material.
Katsia’s verdict marks the third acquittal after Tedo Abramov, among dozens who have been detained in the context of protests since November 2024.
35 persons in total detained in the context of the pro-EU and anti-Georgian Dream protests since last November have faced jail sentences, including Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Guram Mirtskhulava, Luka Jabua, Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Revaz Kiknadze, Giorgi Terashvili, Valeri Tetrashvili, Sergey Kukharchuk, Irakli Kerashvili, Saba Skhvitaridze, Zviad Tsetskhladze, Vepkhia Kasradze, Vasil Kadzelashvili, Giorgi Gorgadze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Insaf Aliev, Tornike Goshadze, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, Anton Chechin, Archil Museliantsi, Davit Khomeriki, Anatoli Gigauri, Temur Zasokhashvili, Davit Lomidze, Mzia Amaghlobeli, Anri Kakabadze, Anri Kvaratskhelia, Saba Jikia, Giorgi Mindadze, Mate Devidze, Denis Kulanin, Daniel Mumladze and Guram Khutashvili.
Seven more remain in prison after being convicted over their involvement in the spring 2024 protests against the foreign agents law, including Omar Okribelashvili, Saba Meparishvili, Pridon Bubuteishvili, Davit Koldari, Giorgi Kuchuashvili, Giorgi Okmelashvili, and Irakli Megvinetukhutsesi. Two more persons—Ucha Abashidze and Mariam Iashvili, were arrested in a similar context but convicted for illegally obtaining and storing secrets of private life.
Eight individuals, including six active opposition politicians, were recently sentenced to prison terms of several months for defying the Georgian Dream investigative commission.
Three persons – Nika Katsia, Tedo Abramovi, and Giorgi Akhobadze – have been acquitted of serious drug charges linked to the protests and activism.
Politpatimrebi.ge, a civic platform documenting the cases of detainees, currently lists over 60 persons who were jailed in 2024-2025 and are considered political prisoners.
The verdicts come as no police officer has been held accountable despite numerous documented abuses during dispersals. Dozens of protesters remain in pre-trial custody, awaiting their rulings on similar or other protest-related charges.
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