Georgia's Interior Ministry announces the detention of five protest organizers

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia announced the detention of the organizers of the October 4 protest. This was reported by the media SOVA.

Interior Ministry announces the detention of Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadradze, Paata Manjgaladze and Lasha Beridze.

According to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, they are charged with calling for a violent change of the constitutional order or overthrow of the state. Opposition politicians face up to nine years in prison.

The media reports that the investigation is being conducted under four articles of the Criminal Code of Georgia: 317, 222, 225 and 187, which provide for an attack on a police officer, a call for violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order, damage or destruction of other people's property, organization, leadership or participation in group violence, as well as an attempt to seize or block objects of strategic or special importance.

Members of the United National Movement, Murtaz Zodelava and Irakli Nadradze, were detained around 02:00 on Rustaveli Avenue. The opposition politicians were giving interviews to journalists when the criminal police suddenly appeared near the parliament building.

The security forces also came to the Healthycore clinic, where another organizer of the rally, Paata Burchuladze, was under medical supervision. the 70-year-old opera singer was hospitalized after tear gas was used against him during clashes near the presidential palace. Burchuladze was placed in the intensive care unit. However, he was taken out of the clinic in handcuffs.

The circumstances of the detention of Paata Manjgaladze and Lasha Beridze are unknown.

As reported by Echo of the Caucasus, the website of the Central Election Commission of Georgia published data from all polling stations in the local elections held on October 4. In the face of a boycott by a number of pro-Western opposition parties, the ruling Georgian Dream party won a landslide victory.

According to the CEC, 81.7% of voters nationwide voted for the Georgian Dream. In Tbilisi, the party's figure was 70%.

The second place in Georgia was taken by the party "Strong Georgia – Lelo" with a result of 6.7%. Gakharia for Georgia came in third with 3.7%.

The elections were held on October 4 in 64 municipalities of Georgia. The CEC stated that the voting was calm and generally free of violations. At the same time, opposition parties that ran in the elections reported hundreds of violations. The voting took place against the backdrop of a large-scale protest in Tbilisi.

• On October 4, 2025, local elections were held, in which the CEC declared the ruling Georgian Dream party the winner. This provoked a new wave of rallies.
• The Georgian prime minister accused the protesters of attempting a coup d'état, while police used force against the protesters.