TBILISI, June 9 – Seven people detained in Georgia’s “October 4” case were released from the courtroom on Tuesday after a judge approved plea agreements with prosecutors.
The case concerns events near the Atoneli Palace, the presidential residence in central Tbilisi, on October 4. The release of detainees has been one of the main demands raised during opposition rallies since the disputed 2024 parliamentary election.
Eight defendants in one episode of the case signed plea agreements. One of them was already free on bail, while the other seven were released from custody after the court approved the deals. All eight received three-year conditional sentences.
The agreements were approved by Judge Jvebe Nachkebia. Prosecutors agreed to the deals after the defendants admitted guilt and accepted the evidence as undisputed.
The episode had 15 defendants in total. Seven others did not admit guilt and did not receive plea agreements. Their case will continue before Judge Giorgi Gelashvili.
The defendants in this episode were charged under provisions covering an attempted group seizure and blocking of strategic and special-importance facilities, committed as a group, as well as participation in group violence.
In total, criminal charges have been brought against 64 people over the October 4 events. At this stage, plea agreements are being made with 22 of them, according to Interpressnews.
The prosecution says the door remains open for others who want to accept a plea deal. Prosecutor Roin Khintibidze said defendants can still apply if they admit the crime, sincerely repent and submit a request before the verdict is announced.
He said the eight defendants who received deals were sentenced to three years in prison, but the sentence was counted as conditional with a three-year probation period.
After his release, Davit Ghurtskaia wished freedom to all remaining prisoners of conscience, while Aleksandre Gogoladze said “freedom is the highest value” and told those still in prison that he had left “one prison for another.”
The plea deals also showed the split inside the case: some defendants admitted guilt and walked free under conditional sentences, while others refused to confess and will continue the court fight.
