Plea agreements with Murtaz Zodelava, Lasha Beridze and two others in October 4 case to be concluded within two weeks

Murtaz Zodelava and Lasha Beridze, convicted of attempting to seize a strategic and special-importance facility, organizing, leading and participating in group violence, and publicly calling for the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order and state authorities, will enter into plea agreements.

Their cases have been separated into individual proceedings by the court.

The plea agreements with Zodelava and Beridze have been signed and are expected to be formally concluded within two weeks.

Under the terms of the agreements, they will be sentenced to one year and one month in prison, along with two years of suspended sentences. Accordingly, Zodelava and Beridze are expected to leave prison on November 5, in the coming weeks.

Both men had requested plea agreements themselves.

Under a ruling by Tbilisi City Court, Zodelava and Beridze had each been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Two other defendants in the October 4 case, Guri Zhvania and Irakli Chkhvirkia, will also enter into plea agreements.

Zhvania was charged under Article 225, paragraph 2, of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns participation in group violence.

Chkhvirkia was charged under Article 19-222, paragraph 2(a), which concerns an attempt, committed by a group, to seize or block strategic and special-importance facilities. He was also charged under Article 225, paragraph 1, concerning the organization of group violence.

Chkhvirkia and Zhvania have each been sentenced to five years in prison.