Tbilisi court sentences two riot police to prison for assaults

Tbilisi City Court judge Tamar Makaridze sentenced two riot police officers to five years in prison each for assaulting protester Zviad Maisashvili. The court also banned these officers from professional activity for three years. This ruling stands as one of the harshest punishments issued for excessive force during the ongoing pro-European demonstrations.

Assaults on Maisashvili and Rogava

The assault on Maisashvili occurred in the early hours of 30 November 2024 during the dispersal of an anti-government protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Footage circulated online showed a special forces officer kicking Maisashvili in the face while he lay on the ground. He sustained a concussion and a broken nose, receiving victim status eight months after the incident.

In the same proceedings, the court sentenced riot police officer Guram (Goga) Kirkitzae to five years in prison for attacking former Formula TV journalist Guram Rogava. Rogava was attacked during the 29 November 2024 demonstrations held in response to the government EU U-turn. Prosecutor Lasha Gamkrelidze informed Rogava of the verdict over the phone. Rogava expressed distrust in the case materials, describing the evidence as "blank sheets of paper". He claimed that a different riot police officer was convicted while the actual attacker remains free because the individual is a key figure in other bloody cases and enjoys guarantees of protection from the regime.