Zviad Kuprava, an opposition politician from the United National Movement (UNM) party and a former member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo), was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after a court found him guilty of “publicly calling for the overthrow of the government” and “resisting a protector of public order.”
Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili delivered the verdict on June 29, sentencing Kuprava to prison on the overthrow charge and imposing a GEL 5,000 (about USD 1,900) fine on the resistance charge.
The case stems from a Facebook video published by Kuprava on September 30, 2025, days before the October 4 municipal elections, which were boycotted by part of the opposition, including the UNM. In the video, Kuprava outlined a plan to disrupt the vote. The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) arrested him the following day, saying that he also resisted police officers during detention.
Unrest erupted on October 4, 2025, the day of the partially boycotted municipal elections, after a group of protesters, following a call from organizers of a “peaceful revolution” rally, attempted to occupy the presidential palace in downtown Tbilisi and were repelled by police. Up to 60 people, including rally organizers, were subsequently charged in connection with the events, with most placed in pretrial detention. Georgian Dream officials have described the events as a foreign-orchestrated coup attempt.
29 people have received prison sentences, including three convicted in absentia. Another 12 defendants received reduced prison terms through plea agreements, while 22 avoided prison through suspended sentences. One additional defendant was fined.
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