Reacting to the sentencing yesterday of 19-year-old protester Saba Jikia, to more than four years in prison for allegedly kicking a police officer during ongoing protests in Georgia, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“Saba Jikia’s trial was marred by fair trial concerns and a failure to apply youth justice procedures, usually available under Georgian law for defendants aged 18 to 21. The evidence against him includes video footage challenged by his defence and conclusions by the prosecution’s expert whom his defence was unable to cross-examine.

“There is a wider pattern of protesters being dealt lengthy jail sentences following unfair trials. At the same time, Georgian authorities have proved unwilling to investigate grave violations by police, with no law enforcement officials held to account for widespread ill-treatment of protesters during arrest and allegations of torture in custody. This selective approach to justice is of deep concern. Georgian authorities must immediately end this impunity and injustice.”

Background

Saba Jikia was arrested on 5 December 2024, a week after mass pro-European protests broke out. He was prosecuted for allegedly kicking a fallen riot police officer. The officer in question – who had not been uniformed during the incident – testified in court saying he had not suffered any injuries.

Georgian youth justice legislation requires consideration of the least restrictive measures for defendants under 21 and of restorative justice alternatives. When applying youth justice procedures to defendants aged 18 to 21, deprivation of liberty is to be permissible only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period. However, in spite of the wide application of the youth justice provisions in Georgia’s courts for 18 to 21 year olds, they were not applied in Saba Jikia’s case. Initially, he was remanded in detention in a swift hearing, similar to other remanded Georgian protesters, without due consideration of either the grounds for his pretrial detention or of alternative restraining measures. Following his trial, the judge imposed a prison sentence closer to the maximum penalty.

Amnesty International has reported extensively on human rights violations of anti-government protesters in Georgia, including denial of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, violence by pro-government groups or undercover police targeting opposition activists, and unfair trials. The organization has recently launched a global campaign to Demand accountability and justice for protesters in Georgia!  – Amnesty International