Court sentences Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze and Paata Manjgaladze to seven years in prison in October 4 case

The Tbilisi City Court has sentenced the defendants in the October 4 case, Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze and Paata Manjgaladze, to seven years’ imprisonment each.

As regards the remaining defendants in the same case, the court ruled as follows: Lasha Beridze was sentenced to seven years; Irakli Shaishmelashvili to two years; Irakli Chkhvirkia to five years; and Tornike Mchedlishvili, Guri Zhvania and Nika Gventsadze to five years each.

Judge Irakli Khuskivadze delivered the verdict a short time ago.
Paata Burchuladze, Paata Manjgaladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Murtaz Zodelava and Lasha Beridze have delivered their closing statements at the proceedings.

For reference, Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze and Irakli Nadiradze were charged under Article 19-222, Part 2, Subparagraph (a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to the attempted seizure and blockade of strategically and specially significant facilities, committed as part of a group. They were also charged under Article 225, Part 1, which concerns the organisation and leadership of group violence.

Zodelava, Burchuladze and Nadiradze were further charged by the prosecution under Article 317 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to publicly inciting the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order or the forcible seizure of state power, a charge carrying a custodial sentence of up to nine years.

Paata Manjgaladze was charged under Article 225, Part 1, which concerns the organisation of group violence, an offence carrying a custodial sentence of between six and nine years.

As regards the remaining defendants, Irakli Shaishmelashvili was charged under Article 317, which concerns the public incitement to the violent alteration of Georgia’s constitutional order or the overthrow of state power, a charge carrying a custodial sentence of up to three years.

Lasha Beridze was charged under Article 19-222, Part 2, Subparagraph (a), the attempted seizure of strategically and specially significant facilities, committed as part of a group, as well as under Article 225, Part 1, concerning the organisation and leadership of group violence.

Irakli Chkhvirkia, Nika Gventsadze and Tornike Mchedlishvili were likewise charged under Article 19-222, Part 2, Subparagraph (a), about the attempted seizure and blockade of strategically and specially significant facilities committed as part of a group, and additionally under Article 225, Part 1, concerning the organisation and leadership of group violence, offences carrying a custodial sentence of between six and nine years.

As for Guri Zhvania, the remaining defendant in the case, he was charged under Article 225, Part 2, which pertains to participation in group violence.