The trial of actor Andro Chichinadze, comedian Onise Tsxadadze, and nine others accused of participating in group violence began today at the Tbilisi City Court. The defendants face charges related to the recent protest rallies held near the Parliament.
Today’s session kick-started a substantive hearing, with both prosecution and defense delivering opening statements. All defendants appeared in court, with the exception of Revaz Kiknadze and Ruslan Sivakov, who declined to attend the proceedings.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs previously consolidated the cases into one trial due to the shared nature of the alleged offense. Alongside Chichinadze and Tsxadadze, those charged include Jano Archaya, Luka Jabua, Guram Mirtskhulava, Valeri Tetrashvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Revaz Kiknadze, Sergei Kukharchuk, and Ruslan Sivakov.
All mentioned individuals face charges under Article 225, Part 2 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which pertains to participation in group violence. If found guilty, the accused could face prison sentences ranging from four to six years.
