Georgian foreign agent law protester sentenced to nine years in jail
- 12 April, 18:03
A court in Georgian capital Tbilisi has sentenced Lazare Grigoriadis, a protester who participated in the March 2023 protest against the government-proposed foreign agent law to nine years in jail.
Grigoriadis (22) was convicted of attacking the police and arson during the nationwide protest agains the draft law. He was the first person to be convicted for involvement in the protest against the draft law proposed by the ruling Georgia Dream party. The draft law identifies as a foreign agent any individual or an entity who receives 20 percent of their funding from a foreign country.
Grigoriadis’ sentencing comes at a time when the ruling party is reintroducing the contentious law, drawing significant criticism both domestically and internationally." The convict was found guilty on two counts: causing injury to a police officer in the course of their official duties and arson resulting in the destruction of another person's property.
Several human rights activists in Georgia have raised concerns about the fairness of Grigoriadis's trial, expressing doubts that he would receive fair treatment. They argue that the evidence presented against him is flawed and point to widespread beliefs that the judiciary lacks independence from the government.
After the verdict, Grigoriadis's lawyer, Lika Bitadze, stated, "Everything unfolded exactly as we predicted and as the defense anticipated." She criticized the court's decision as "completely unfair, unjustified, and shameful," emphasizing that no direct evidence against Grigoriadis had been presented to the judge. Bitadze mentioned that they had already drafted a statement to President Salome Zourabichvili, requesting a pardon.