Two Georgian protesters, 23-year-old Daniel Mumladze and 26-year-old Guram Khutashvili, have been sentenced to three years in prison on vandalism charges.
Mumladze and Khutashvili were accused of damaging surveillance cameras on Tbilisi central Rustaveli Avenue during protests in December 2024.
Both admitted their guilt, and said they were willing pay for the damages, reportedly amounting to ₾12,000 ($4,400).
However, the prosecutor refused to accept their guilty plea and instead proceeded with the trial.
Judge Lili Mskhiladze, who was presiding over the hearing, explained the lengthy prison sentences by saying that violent actions by the public against the state ‘have become systematic’.
Mumladze and Khutashvili were among the first of the dozens of people arrested during the height of the anti-government protests that broke out following the announcement that Georgia would be suspending its bid for EU accession until 2028.
OC Media
