The Tbilisi City Court sentenced 21-year-old medical student and civil activist Giorgi Mindadze to 5 years in prison. He was found guilty of "assaulting a police officer" (Article 353 of the Criminal Code). The article provides for 4 to 7 years in prison.
According to the prosecutor's office, on November 29, the young man shot a law enforcement officer with pyrotechnics, as a result of which he received an injury to his leg. The charges are based on the testimony of the Ministry of Internal Affairs officers and a photo showing a masked man throwing something in the direction of the police cordon.
In his final statement, the convicted man said that the sentence handed down to him does not matter and called on the public to support the other arrested people.
During the hearing of the Mindadze case, a clash occurred in court between representatives of the bailiff service and citizens who planned to attend the trial. The judge did not grant the lawyers' motion and held the hearing in a small courtroom. The bailiffs removed several people from the court building, which caused discontent among citizens.
