Latest news with #Ahali
Civil.ge
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
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.
Civil.ge
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Nika Gvaramia Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Defying Tsulukiani Commission
Tbilisi City Court Judge Jvebe Nachkebia on July 1 sentenced Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Ahali party, to eight months in prison for refusing to appear before the Tsulukiani Commission – the Georgian Dream parliament's temporary investigative body, chaired by GD veteran Tea Tsulukiani and tasked with probing the alleged crimes committed by former officials. Nika Gvaramia has thus become the seventh person – and sixth opposition figure – sentenced to prison for defying the GD commission's summonses, following Nika Melia , Givi Targamadze , Giorgi Vashadze , Mamuka Khazaradze , Badri Japaradze , and Zurab Japaridze . Former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili remains in pretrial detention, anticipating a similar verdict. All who have received prison sentences have also had their right to hold office stripped for two years. Gvaramia, who has been in pretrial detention since June 16 after refusing to pay court-imposed bail, did not attend today's ruling, following others' examples from recent weeks. The ruling was delivered without media coverage, as new legislative changes passed last week by the GD parliament – banning journalists from filming, photographing, or live broadcasting from court premises without prior consent – have come into force. Nika Gvaramia served as Deputy Prosecutor General, Justice Minister, and Education Minister between 2007 and 2009 under the UNM government. From 2012 to 2019, he was director of the opposition-leaning Rustavi 2 channel. In 2022, Gvaramia was imprisoned after being found guilty of abuse of power related to Rustavi 2 management, but in June 2023, President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him. After his release, Gvaramia entered politics in early 2024, co-founding the Ahali party with Nika Melia. The Ahali-led Coalition for Change won the majority of opposition votes in the 2024 parliamentary elections, which the opposition claims were rigged. The coalition then revoked their mandates, has boycotted the GD parliament since, and now strongly opposes participating in the local elections scheduled for October 2025. The Georgian Dream parliament's temporary investigative commission , chaired by GD veteran and former Justice and Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani, was initially formed to probe alleged misconduct under the UNM government. Over time, however, it extended its scope to the present day, summoning GD critics, including some who had never been with the UNM. The opposition has refused to appear before the commission, refusing to cooperate with the one-party parliament they consider illegitimate. Former GD Interior Minister and Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, now the leader of the opposition For Georgia party, was the only exception who agreed to testify , while maintaining that his appearance did not amount to legitimizing the rump parliament, which his party has also been boycotting. Giorgi Gakharia has been resummoned by the commission over the Chorchana episode, which the Prosecutor's Office is investigating as 'sabotage.' Currently in Germany, Gakharia offered to testify remotely, to which the Tsulukiani Commission ultimately agreed. The session is scheduled for July 2. Gakharia's party member said his return to Georgia remains undecided due to 'many factors.' Alongside Gakharia, other opposition figures – Nika Gvaramia, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Giorgi Vashadze – were also summoned again, with their testimonies meant to be heard online from prison on June 30. However, they again defied the summonses and did not appear. The commission asked the Prosecutor's Office to open investigations into their renewed defiance. Non-compliance with the Georgian Parliament's temporary investigative commission is a criminal offense, punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, alongside a ban on holding public office for up to three years. However, the court has not fined anyone and opted for prison sentences. The commission has addressed topics such as alleged human rights abuses, including in prisons and the alleged business racketeering under the UNM rule, as well as the August 2008 war, which it blames on the former administration and imprisoned ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. It is also looking into activities from 2012 to 2025 that it claims undermined Georgia's foreign policy interests. On June 25, the GD parliament once again extended the commission's mandate until August 5. Tsulukiani, addressing the GD MPs at the plenary session, said the final report of the commission will be 'the gravest' in its assessments. Georgian Dream says that the commission's final report will be submitted to the country's Constitutional Court to ban the UNM and its 'successor parties.' Also Read:
Civil.ge
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Elene Khoshtaria Goes On Hunger Strike as 'New Form of Struggle'
Opposition Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria announced a hunger strike, saying it is a 'new form of struggle.' 'Now that the regime has launched a new attack and arrested practically all of the opposition, I want to declare a new form of struggle — one that is not emotional or thoughtless, but victory-oriented,' Khoshtaria told reporters as she was announcing her 'firm decision' in the evening of June 27 in front of the parliament building on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue, the epicenter of ongoing non-stop anti-Georgian Dream protests. She vowed not to leave Rustaveli Avenue, citing tragic reports of detained protesters losing family members while in custody. At least three inmates have lost parents since their arrest over protests that erupted after Georgian Dream's late-November announcement to halt EU accession. The most recent case is the death of the father of Onise Tskhadadze, a well-known comedian currently on trial for group violence. 'If you can't see the value of life, the value of freedom […] here's my life, here's my freedom too — and you still can't beat us,' Khoshtaria said, addressing the ruling Georgian Dream party. She went on to say in her 'statement to people' that the 'only way' is 'revolution and their overthrow from the street.' 'I can't tell anyone when to take to the streets, go on hunger strike, go to prison, or come out,' Khoshtaria said. 'I can only say this with my example: I am ready to sacrifice myself against the regime — and I will.' Six people, including five active opposition leaders, have been sentenced to several months in prison in recent days for refusing to appear before the Tsulukiani Commission in the Georgian Dream parliament, which they consider illegitimate. Two more are awaiting final rulings while in pre-trial custody. All three other leaders of the Coalition for Change, an election alliance formed ahead of the 2024 parliamentary vote, which includes Khoshtaria's Droa, are currently jailed: Zurab Japaridze from Girchi – More Freedom has been sentenced to seven months, Ahali's Nika Melia to eight months, while Nika Gvaramia, Ahali's other leader, currently remains in pretrial detention anticipating a similar sentence. Also Read:
