The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has charged 13 individuals with attempting to seize and blockade a strategic facility, as well as participating in group violence.

At a briefing, prosecutors announced they would request pre-trial detention for the defendants.

“As publicly known, the following individuals have been arrested on charges of organizing and leading group violence, attempting to seize a facility of strategic importance, violently altering Georgia’s constitutional order, and calling for the overthrow of the state government: Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze.

We remind the public that Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, and Irakli Nadiradze, in an effort to mobilize citizens aggressively opposed to the government, made public calls several days before the local elections to violently change Georgia’s constitutional order and overthrow the state government. They urged society to support a revolution, calling for mass participation and unification of certain societal groups to achieve this goal.

On October 4, the day of the local government elections, all five defendants, along with other individuals, organized group violent actions. Paata Burchuladze addressed the crowd at Liberty Square, presenting the action plan, which included the immediate arrest of certain government representatives and the execution of violent acts. Following this, Murtaz Zodelava urged the participants to move toward the administrative building of the President of Georgia to seize it by force, instructing them not to comply with law enforcement.

As the group moved from Liberty Square toward the President’s administrative building, participants destroyed municipal and private property around Orbeliani Square, using heavy objects and fire, and erected barricades on the roadways to resist law enforcement and obstruct the restoration of order.

Today, the Tbilisi City Court fully upheld the prosecutor’s motion and ordered the imprisonment of Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze as a preventive measure.

The public is informed that 13 additional individuals have been detained in connection with the ongoing investigation into the aforementioned criminal case at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The detainees are: Beka Machavariani, Aleksandre Gogoladze, Eva Shashiashvili, Giorgi Rurua, Vakhtang Pitskhelauri, Davit Sturua, Manuchar Mikeladze, Aleksandre Khabeishvili, Kakhaber Mzhavanadze, Tornike Mchedlishvili, Abo Naveriani, Sergo Megrelishvili, and Davit Zhgenti. The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has charged these individuals with attempting to seize a facility of strategic and special importance and participating in group violence.

The investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has established that, following the organizers’ instructions, the accused launched an attack on the evening of October 4 with the intent to seize a strategic facility. They physically damaged the protective fence and unlawfully entered the yard of the Presidential Administration of Georgia. To overcome the resistance of law enforcement officers deployed at the site, the accused exhibited aggressive behavior, threw metal objects, and physically and verbally assaulted officers, endangering their lives and health.

Additionally, those involved in the group violence deliberately damaged municipal and private property in the surrounding area, including by setting fires. The protective fence of the Presidential Administration Building was significantly damaged, and nearby infrastructure, as well as municipal and private property, was destroyed or damaged. Thanks to prompt actions by government representatives to restore public order and enforce the law, the criminal attempt to seize the Presidential Administration Building was unsuccessful.

The defendants were arrested on October 6 under a judge’s ruling. All thirteen individuals face charges under Article 19-222, Part 2, Subparagraph “a” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempt to seize strategic and/or special importance objects, committed by a group, punishable by two to four years of imprisonment) and Article 225, Part 2 (participation in group violence, punishable by six to nine years of imprisonment),” The Prosecutor’s Office stated.