Opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of attempted terrorism over a 2025 incident involving efforts to set fire to the Tbilisi City Court chancellery.
Tbilisi City Court Judge Giorgi Gelashvili delivered the ruling on July 10. Elisashvili was not present for the announcement, as the judge had removed him from the courtroom after he swore at Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies Mamuka Mdinaradze.
While Elisashvili admitted the act, he did not plead guilty to the attempted terrorism charge. His lawyers sought to have the charge reclassified as a less serious offense, disputing that his intentions amounted to terrorism, and arguing Elisashvili was expressing protest.
Elisashvili is still facing separate terrorism charges related to another 2025 incident involving the alleged arson of the Tbilisi City Court archive, an accusation he and his lawyers have dismissed.
Elisashvili has been in pretrial detention since late November 2025, following his arrest over an attempt to set fire to the Tbilisi City Court chancellery. Authorities initially said the case was being investigated under Article 19-187 of the Criminal Code, which covers attempted damage or destruction of property. However, on November 30, the Prosecutor’s Office said Elisashvili was charged under Article 19-323, which covers attempted acts of terrorism.
In March 2026, prosecutors brought new charges against Elisashvili, accusing him of terrorism in connection with a separate incident in May 2025, alleging that he set fire to the Tbilisi City Court archive. He was charged under Article 187 of Georgia’s Criminal Code.
Prosecutors presented multiple CCTV recordings from the two Tbilisi City Court incidents — on November 29, 2025, and May 4, 2025 — arguing that the masked man carrying a backpack seen in both videos was Elisashvili.
Days before the new charges were announced in March, Elisashvili said he did not want to be considered a “political prisoner,” suggesting that the ruling Georgian Dream party appeared to be using his name and case to discredit others widely believed to be jailed for political reasons. He said that if any “list” of political prisoners was requested or compiled to secure their release, he did not want to be included.
Alesko Elisashvili’s Citizens party joined the Strong Georgia alliance, led by Lelo, ahead of the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections and remained part of the coalition even after other parties left, including over Lelo’s decision to participate in the partially boycotted 2025 municipal elections.
Elisashvili also briefly fought against Russian forces in Ukraine shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
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