Tbilisi City Court has ordered the imprisonment of leaders of the Rustaveli Avenue Movement, Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze, as a preventive measure. The decision was made by Judge Lela Maridashvili on October 7, during a session discussing the imposition of preventive measures on the detainees.
The prosecution requested imprisonment, citing risks of absconding, committing new crimes, and destroying evidence. Prosecutor Vazha Todua noted that video recordings in the case allegedly depict the defendants’ actions. The defense argued that the case is politically motivated and that the defendants pose no threat to society, calling imprisonment extreme and unjustified.
According to the investigative body, Burchuladze, Zodelava, and Nadiradze face charges under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including attempted seizure of strategic objects, organization of group violence, and calls for a violent change of the constitutional order.
The charges carry a maximum combined prison term of up to nine years. The court’s decision imposes preventive detention while the investigation and trial continue.
