On July 16, British citizen Matthew Roy Desmond has reached a plea agreement with the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office. The agreement was approved by Judge Nino Galustashvili. Desmond was found guilty, fined 100,000 GEL, ordered to be deported from Georgia, and banned from re-entering the country for 20 years. The war veteran was arrested on Georgian …
Tag Archives: Judiciary in Georgia
Closed-Door Trial of Eight Georgian Opposition Leaders Speeds Toward Verdict
The substantive hearings in the so-called “sabotage” case against Georgia’s eight opposition leaders are continuing at an accelerated pace. The defendants and their lawyers expect a verdict by the end of this month or, at the latest, in August. While the court initially held roughly one hearing per month, over the past month proceedings have …
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Lawyer Fined 4,000 GEL Over MP Post Comment | Social Media Speech Cases Expand in Georgia
Lawyer Shota Tutberidze was first issued an administrative offence report by Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and was later fined 4,000 GEL by Judge Davit Makaridze over a comment he posted under a social media post by Georgian Dream Parliament member Nino Tsilosani. The fine was imposed under Article 173¹⁶ of Georgia’s Code of Administrative …
Court Dismisses Yet Another Defamation Case Filed by Mzia Amaglobeli Against PM Irakli Kobakhidze
On April 24, Tbilisi City Court has terminated proceedings in yet another defamation lawsuit brought by journalist Mzia Amaglobeli against Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The hearing was held in Kobakhidze’s absence, as neither he nor his legal representative attended court. The court was also informed that no written defence had been submitted, despite …
“I’m a Journalist, Publicity Is Important”: Eliso Kiladze Speaks Out as Court Closes Proceedings
The court hearing of Eliso Kiladze, founder of Qronika+, was closed at the request of the prosecution. The defendant herself opposed the prosecution’s motion, stating that, as a journalist, publicity is of fundamental importance to her. Kiladze’s statement prior to the closure of the hearing was reported by InterpressNews (IPN). “I do not agree with …
Judge Giorgi Arevadze’s Rulings: Denounced as “Politically Motivated” — Then by Georgian Dream, Now by Its Opponents
Judge Giorgi Arevadze sentenced Georgian opposition leader and mother of four, Elene Khoshtaria, to one and a half years in prison for writing “Russian Dream” with a marker on an election banner of Kakha Kaladze, “causing damage estimated by the prosecution at 570 GEL”. Earlier, the same judge sentenced Archil Museliantsi to four years in …
Judge Orders 11 Defendants in October 4 Case to Remain in Pre-Trial Detention
On January 20, Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili reviewed the use of pre-trial detention as a preventive measure for 11 defendants detained in connection with the October 4 case. However, the judge ruled to keep all 11 in custody. The defendants are Abo Naveriani, Vakhtang Pitskhelauri, Guriel Kardava, Beka Kelekhsashvili, Mamuka Labuchidze, Giorgi Muladze, Avtandil Surmanidze, Temur …
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Sanctioned Justice: 44 Judges Targeted for Georgian Dream’s Crackdown in 2025
As in previous years, Western countries imposed sanctions in 2025 on dozens of Georgian Dream representatives and allies. Among those sanctioned were judges who, through their roles in the party’s repressive measures, presided over both criminal and administrative cases against protest participants. In total, 47 judges have been sanctioned by Western countries in recent years. …
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