The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has brought formal charges against Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze for organising and directing group violence, attempting to seize strategic facilities of special importance, and inciting the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order and the toppling of state authority.
According to statements made at a briefing held at the Prosecutor’s Office, the ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has established that Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, and Irakli Nadiradze made public calls for the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order and the toppling of state authority several days before the local government elections. Their aim was to mobilise citizens harbouring hostile sentiments towards the authorities, to gather them together and incite them to commit acts of violence.
“Specifically, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Burchuladze, and Murtaz Zodelava called upon society to pursue revolution, urging aggressively-minded citizens to participate. According to their statements, they intended to collectively overthrow the state authorities. For the execution of these plans, it was deemed necessary to involve and unite certain groups within society on a large scale.
The investigation has also revealed that on the day of the local government elections, October 4, Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Lasha Beridze, Paata Manjgaladze, and other individuals conspired to organise acts of group violence. They publicly announced through the mass media that they would themselves organise and direct these violent activities. On the same day, during a protest rally held in Freedom Square, Paata Burchuladze presented to the gathered citizens an action plan they had devised. According to this plan, participants in the group violence were to immediately detain specific representatives of the authorities and carry out various unlawful coercive measures against individuals considered undesirable.
Following Paata Burchuladze’s announcement of the criminal plan, Murtaz Zodelava called on rally participants for those involved in the group violence to move collectively towards the administrative building of the President of Georgia, which they would seize by force, and instructed them not to comply with law enforcement. Following this call, Paata Burchuladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Lasha Beridze, Murtaz Zodelava, and other persons participating in group violent action marched from Freedom Square towards the Presidential Administration building.
In the streets adjacent to Orbeliani Square, participants in the group violence deliberately destroyed municipal and private property located in the surrounding area using heavy objects and by setting fires. Some of this material was used to construct barricades on the roadway in order to resist law enforcement officers and obstruct the restoration of public order. After the organisers of the criminal acts and participants in the violent group reached the Presidential Administration building, which is classified as a strategic facility of special importance, they collectively damaged the iron fence with the aim of seizing it. Following this, Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Lasha Beridze, and numerous other participants in the group violent actions broke into the courtyard of the Presidential Administration building, during which time they subjected law enforcement officers to verbal and physical abuse. They attacked law enforcement officers with stones and other heavy objects.
As a result of these actions, the protective fence of the strategic facility was significantly damaged, and infrastructure in the surrounding area was destroyed, along with municipal and private property.
As a result of the proactive measures undertaken by authorities to maintain public order and restore the rule of law, the criminal plan to blockade and seize the strategic facility, the administrative building of the President of Georgia, was thwarted and did not come to fruition. Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze were promptly arrested by law enforcement officers.
Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze and Irakli Nadiradze have been charged under Article 19-222(2)(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempted seizure and blockade of strategic facilities of special importance, committed in a group); Article 225, Part 1 (organisation and direction of group violence); and Article 317 (incitement to the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order and the toppling of state authority), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years’ imprisonment.
Lasha Beridze has been charged under Article 19-222(2)(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempted seizure and blockade of strategic facilities of special importance, committed in a group) and Article 225, Part 1 (organisation and direction of group violence), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years’ imprisonment.
Paata Manjgaladze has been charged under Article 225, Part 1 (organisation of group violence), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years’ imprisonment,” the briefing at the Prosecutor’s Office stated.
As noted at the briefing, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is continuing its criminal investigation with the aim of identifying and apprehending other persons connected to the offences.
“The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia extends its gratitude to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the Special State Protection Service for the special operations conducted to the highest standards on October 4,” the briefing at the Prosecutor’s Office concluded.
