On August 17, Muslim Magomayev would have turned 83, Azernews reports.
Day: August 18, 2025
Tbilisi City Court Judge Eka Barbakadze remanded protesters Tornike Toshkhua and Mindia Shervashidze in pretrial custody on August 18, two days after their detention on group violence charges over a disputed August 1 rally incident.
Judge Barbakadze thus granted Prosecutor Nino Zhvania’s request for pretrial detention, rejecting the defense’s plea for bail. Defense lawyers argued the charge is minor and carries a maximum penalty of a fine, community service, or up to two years in prison, making pretrial custody unwarranted. The next pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for October 6.
The incident occurred on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue near Parliament, where demonstrators have daily blocked the road as part of non-stop protests that erupted last November.
Authorities say suspects physically attacked Beka Gotsiridze, but protesters allege Gotsiridze, an ex-footballer, provoked them, including having repeatedly insulted protesters on social media and showing up at a rally with a knife, which he allegedly tried to pull out during the incident and eventually dropped. Rustaveli Avenue protesters reportedly handed the knife to the police.
Police and prosecutors say an investigation is underway to identify further suspects.
The arrests have fueled opposition claims of selective justice, with police and courts moving harshly against activists while showing leniency toward ruling party-aligned attackers, known as titushki.
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