Georgia: The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office presented charges against Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze for organizing and leading group violence, attempting to overthrow an object of strategic and special importance, violently changing Georgian constitutional arrangements, and calling for the collapse of the state government.
Within the framework of the investigation in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it has been determined that Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, and Irakli Nadiradze, who were aggressive towards the government, mobilized them and engaged in violent actions, a few days before the self-government elections, violently replaced the Georgian constitutional system, and killed the state government. According to their statement, they reported jointly to the state government, and for the effective implementation of these actions, it was necessary to gather and unite certain groups of society.
Investigation also shows that on the day of local government elections, October 4, Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Lasha Beridze, Paata Manjgaladze, and other persons decided to organize group violence and stated through mass information that they themselves organized and led group violence.
On the same day, Paata Burchuladze introduced the action plan she has developed to the citizens who gathered at the protest at the Freedom Square, according to which the participants of group violence should immediately arrest individual representatives of the government and implement various unjust measures against those who do not want them.
After announcing Paata Burchuladze’s criminal plan, Murtaz Zodelava called on the protesters to move together to the administrative building of the President of Georgia, which they would seize by force, and instructed them not to obey law enforcers. Following the mentioned call, Paata Burchuladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Lasha Beridze, Murtaz Zodelava, and other persons who participated in group violence headed from Freedom Square to the Presidential Administrative Building.
In the streets of Orbeliani Square, gang violence perpetrators, using heavy objects and setting fire, deliberately destroyed municipal and private properties in the vicinity, and used some of them to barricades on the sidewalk, to resist law enforcement and prevent the restoration of order.
As a result of their actions, the protective fence of the strategic object was significantly damaged, and the infrastructure, municipal, and private properties were destroyed in the surrounding area. As a result of the active actions taken by the representatives of the government to protect public order and restore law, the criminal plan of blocking and taking control of the administrative building of the President of Georgia was not implemented, while Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze were law enforcement officers. Abby was arrested soon enough.
Murtaz Zodelava, Paata Burchuladze and Irakli Nadiradze have been charged under Article 19-222 of Article 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempt to seize and block strategic and special importance objects, committed as a group); Article 225 I (organization and leadership of group violence) and Article 317 (convocation of constitutional system of Georgia To change lebi by force and Towards the collapse of the state government) they presented, which considers imprisonment of up to 9 years in prison.
Lasha Beridze is charged under Article 19-222 of Article 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia under sub-paragraph “a” (attempt to seize and block strategic and special importance objects, committed as a group) and Article 225 (organization and leadership of group violence), which considers imprisonment of up to 9 years.
Paata Manjgaladze was charged under the first part of Article 225 (Organizing Group Violence), which considers imprisonment of up to 9 years.
