The Tbilisi City Court has sentenced law enforcement officers accused in the assault case of opposition leader Levan Khabeishvili to five years in prison each. The trial was held behind closed doors, with proceedings effectively classified. The names of the defendants were not disclosed.
The defendants were found guilty of abuse of official authority involving violence. This offense carries a statutory penalty of five to eight years of imprisonment.
The attack on Levan Khabeishvili occurred on April 30, 2024, during a protest in Tbilisi against the so-called “Russian” foreign agents bill. At the time, the member of parliament and chairman of the United National Movement party was brutally beaten after being detained by security forces.
Notably, sentences were previously handed down to special forces officers who carried out assaults during the late 2024 demonstrations protesting the suspension of Georgia’s European integration process. In particular, three security officers were each sentenced to five years in prison for acts of violence against Formula TV journalist Guram Rogava and activist Zviad Maisashvili.