**Medical Student Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Involvement in Anti-Government Protests**
A 21-year-old medical student, Giorgi Mindadze, has been sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly assaulting police officers during anti-Georgian Dream protests. This is the fifth guilty verdict handed down against protesters who have been detained since November 2024.
The sentence was delivered by Judge Nino Galustashvili on July 3, in a hearing that was largely kept out of the public eye due to new restrictions on courtroom recording. The verdict came after days of tense confrontations between bailiffs and Mindadze’s supporters outside Tbilisi City Court. Some of his supporters were even forced to leave the building.
**A Letter from Giorgi Mindadze**
Before the sentence was delivered, Mindadze’s foster mother, Nani Tsulaia, brought a letter written by him to the hearing. In the letter, Mindadze wrote: “Fight as long as at least one person has hope and faith to win this fight.” This message reflects the determination of many protesters who have been fighting against the Georgian Dream government.
**The Charges Against Giorgi Mindadze**
Mindadze was detained in early December and tried for allegedly injuring a police officer with pyrotechnics during a rally on November 29. The charges carry a sentence of four to seven years in prison. However, the defense dismissed the allegations as lacking evidence.
The prosecution’s case against Mindadze relied on video footage showing a young man setting off fireworks during a rally. While the video doesn’t show the trajectory or exact destination of the shots, prosecutors claimed that the firework landed behind the riot police cordon and exploded, injuring an officer in the leg.
**A Pattern of Prosecution**
This conviction is part of a larger pattern of prosecution against protesters who have been detained since November 2024. Despite numerous documented abuses during dispersals, no police officers have been held accountable. Instead, dozens of protesters remain in jail on criminal charges, convicted or awaiting their verdicts.
In fact, seven more individuals were recently sentenced to prison terms for their involvement in the spring 2024 protests against the foreign agents law. These convictions include Omar Okribelashvili, Saba Meparishvili, and Pridon Bubuteishvili, who were convicted just a few months ago.
**Concerns Over Politically Motivated Charges**
There are growing concerns that many of these charges are politically motivated. The civic platform politpatimrebi.ge has listed 68 individuals who were jailed in 2024-2025 and whose charges are believed to be politically motivated.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fight for justice and freedom in Georgia will continue, just as Giorgi Mindadze’s letter urged.
