The Prosecutor`s Office of Georgia [PoG] has brought formal charges against Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, and Lasha Beridze for organising and directing group violence, attempting to seize strategic facilities of special importance, and inciting the violent overthrow of Georgia`s constitutional order and the toppling of state authority.

"Investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs [MIA] has established that Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, and Irakli Nadiradze made public calls for the violent overthrow of Georgia`s constitutional order, the toppling of state authority several days before the local government elections. Their aim was to mobilize citizens harbouring hostile sentiments towards the authorities, to gather them together and incite them to commit acts of violence.

I. Nadiradze, P. Burchuladze, and M. Zodelava called upon society to pursue revolution, urging aggressively-minded citizens to participate. According to their statements, they intended to collectively overthrow the state authorities. For the execution of these plans, it was deemed necessary to involve and unite certain groups within society on a large scale.

According to the investigation, on the day of the local elections, P. Burchuladze, M. Zodelava, I. Nadiradze, L. Beridze, P. Manjgaladze, and other individuals conspired to organize acts of group violence.

They publicly announced through the media that they would themselves organise and direct violent activities. On the same day, during a protest rally held in Freedom Square, P. Burchuladze presented to the citizens an action plan. According to this plan, participants in the group violence were to immediately detain specific representatives of the authorities and carry out various unlawful coercive measures against individuals considered undesirable.

Following P. Burchuladze`s announcement, M. Zodelava called on rally participants for those involved in the group violence to move collectively towards the administrative building of the President of Georgia, which they would seize by force, and instructed them not to comply with law enforcement. Following this call, P. Burchuladze, I. Nadiradze, L. Beridze, M. Zodelava, and other persons participating in group violent action marched from Freedom Square towards the Presidential Administration building.

In the streets adjacent to Orbeliani Square, participants in the group violence deliberately destroyed municipal and private property located in the surrounding area using heavy objects, by setting fires.

Some of this material was used to construct barricades on the roadway in order to resist policeofficers, obstruct the restoration of public order. After the organisers of the criminal acts and participants in the violent group reached the Presidential Administration building, which is classified as a strategic facility of special importance, they collectively damaged the iron fence with the aim of seizing it. Following this, M. Zodelava, P. Burchuladze, I. Nadiradze, L. Beridze, and numerous other participants broke into the courtyard of the Presidential Administration building, during which time they subjected law enforcement officers to verbal and physical abuse, attacked them with stones, other heavy objects.

As a result of these actions, protective fence of the strategic facility was damaged, infrastructure in the surrounding area was destroyed, along with municipal and private property.

As a result of the proactive measures undertaken by authorities to maintain public order and restore the rule of law, the criminal plan to blockade and seize the strategic facility, administrative building of the President of Georgia, was thwarted and didn’t come to fruition. M. Zodelava, P. Burchuladze, I. Nadiradze, P. Manjgaladze, and L. Beridze were promptly detained.
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M. Zodelava, P. Burchuladze and I. Nadiradze have been charged under Article 19-222(2)(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempted seizure and blockade of strategic facilities of special importance, committed in a group); Article 225, Part 1 (organisation and direction of group violence); and Article 317 (incitement to the violent overthrow of Georgia’s constitutional order and the toppling of state authority), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years’ imprisonment.

L. Beridze has been charged under Article 19-222(2)(a) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempted seizure and blockade of strategic facilities of special importance, committed in a group) and Article 225, Part 1 (organisation and direction of group violence), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years` imprisonment.

P.Manjgaladze has been charged under Article 225, Part 1 (organisation of group violence), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 9 years` imprisonment.

The MIA is continuing its criminal investigation with the aim of identifying and apprehending other persons connected to the offences. The PoG extends its gratitude to the MIA, the State Security Service, the Special State Protection Service for the special operations conducted to the highest standards on October 4", - said the representative of PoG at today`s briefing.