Georgian prosecutors have charged two minors over an alleged plot to attack a school in Tbilisi, in a case their lawyers dispute. The teenagers, who have not been named because they are minors, are charged with preparing to organise and take part in group violence and face six to nine years in prison if convicted.
Key points
- Prosecutors say the two met on social media in April and May 2026 and planned an attack on a Tbilisi school, which law enforcement officers uncovered before it could happen.
- They are charged under Articles 18 and 225 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which cover preparing a crime and organising or taking part in group violence.
- A court remanded one of the teenagers in custody, and prosecutors said they would ask for a pretrial measure for the second.
- Their lawyers dispute the allegations, and the investigation is ongoing.
What prosecutors allege
In a statement on 25 October, Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office said an investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that the two met through social media in April and May 2026 and planned an attack on a school involving vandalism and violence.
Prosecutors said the pair chose a specific school and made preparations, but could not carry out their plan because law enforcement officers uncovered their activities. The statement did not name the school, and the teenagers have not been identified.
The charges
The two are charged under Article 18 (preparation of a crime) and Article 225 (organising or participating in group violence) of the Criminal Code. The offence covers group violence, damage to property and the use of weapons, and carries a sentence of six to nine years in prison.
What the defence says
Defence lawyers, quoted by local media, dispute that there is evidence of any preparation. They say the case file contains only limited message fragments from October, that nothing in them shows the teenagers organising an attack, and that the teenagers had never been to the school in question. One of the two has exercised the right to remain silent, and the other denies the charges, according to those reports.
Prosecutors have declined to comment further, citing the fact that the case involves minors.
Court proceedings
As of 25 October, a court had chosen custody as the pretrial measure for one of the teenagers, and prosecutors said they would petition the court for a measure for the second “within the timeframe prescribed by law.” A later media report said the Tbilisi City Court has remanded both teenagers in pretrial detention and described the case as unprecedented in Georgia.
The independent outlet Sando Tskaro was the first to report the detentions, after which the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed them.
What happens next
The investigation is continuing, and the case will go through the courts. Both teenagers are presumed innocent unless a court finds them guilty.
Anyone who learns of a threat to a school can call the emergency number 112.
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