The Tbilisi City Court has remanded Daniel Mumladze into custody on charges of group property damage. The ruling was made by Judge Teona Epitashvili. During the proceedings, the prosecutor requested imprisonment as a preventive measure, citing concerns that the accused might flee, destroy evidence, or commit further crimes. In contrast, the defence sought to have the accused released on bail, leaving the amount to the court’s discretion.

However, the court rejected this request. “We were hopeful the court would consider a less severe preventative measure than imprisonment, such as bail. We presented the court with the financial, economic, and social circumstances of the individual under our protection. We argued that there was no credible threat of a new crime, getaway, concealment, or evidence destruction, and we supported our claims with specific facts and concrete evidence.

The investigative collegium of the Tbilisi City Court exhibits a concerning trend; without thorough discussion or examination of the content, it seems intent on punishing anyone associated with the protest. Essentially, individual review and deliberation are entirely overlooked.

The individual I represent has never been convicted of a crime, has no history of administrative penalties, and has a two-year-old child who relies solely on him for support. No other family member has any additional source of income,” stated lawyer Omar Purtseladze.

Law enforcement authorities detained the accused on December 9. According to the prosecutor, an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed that on December 4, the accused, along with others, damaged surveillance cameras belonging to the Emergency Situations Management Center 112, located on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, resulting in damages estimated at GEL 7,700. The charges carry a potential prison sentence of three to six years.