TBILISI, February 5 – Court proceedings linked to Georgia’s October 4, 2025 protests continued this week, as judges heard expert testimony and reviewed evidence in several related criminal cases involving dozens of defendants.
According to Interpressnews, a total of 64 people are facing criminal charges over the events of October 4, with cases divided into five separate episodes. The hearings are taking place at Tbilisi City Court.
In one case, 15 defendants, including Kakhaber Mzhavanadze, are charged with attempting to seize or block strategically important facilities and with participating in group violence. Three of the defendants, Ia Darakhvelidze, Giorgi Chakhunashvili, and Eva Shashiashvili, have been released on bail, while others remain in custody.
During a recent hearing, the defendants requested that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze be questioned as a witness, citing earlier public statements he made about the October 4 events. The defendants said they would not attend two future hearings if the request is denied. The court continued examining expert evidence, including testimony from forensic and commodity experts.
Separately, police officer Ioseb Rostiashvili, a senior official in the Interior Ministry’s Special Tasks Department, testified as a witness. He told the court that police officers stationed near Atoneli Street and the presidential residence were subjected to thrown objects, insults, and physical violence. Rostiashvili said he suffered a head injury during the clashes and was taken to hospital. He stated that he could not identify who threw the object that struck him.
Another hearing focused on damage to the fence surrounding the presidential residence. Commodity expert Shalva Kintsurashvili testified that several fence sections were deformed or partially torn from their fixtures. He assessed the total damage at 9,300 lari, stating that the fence was not corroded prior to the incident.
There was some tension in the courtroom when prosecutor Tamar Bejuashvili rebuked defense lawyer Shota Tutberidze during questioning of an expert witness, arguing that the line of questioning was inappropriate. Tutberidze responded that his questions were relevant to the case.
Outside of the courtroom, political reactions included comments made by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who described the October 4, 2025 events as an attempt to overthrow the government and criticized claims by some defendants that they were not directly involved in violence.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze yesterday once more ascribed the October 4 protests to foreign influence, pointing to statements made by European Union representatives at the time.
