GEORGIA: ACTOR ANDRO CHICHINADZE JAILED AFTER UNFAIR TRIAL

Dear Prosecutor General,

I am concerned about the unfair, politically motivated convictions and misuse of the criminal justice system in the case of “group public disturbance” of Georgian actor Andro Chichinadze and 18 other protesters, all of them in detention since their arrest in December 2024 in relation to the pro-European protests in Tbilisi.

While being charged with the group crime, nothing links them together as a group, and there is no evidence of organized or coordinated violence or violation of public order at the time of their arrest. The main evidence against Andro Chichinadze is video footage which appears to show him throwing a stick during a protest. The police have failed to demonstrate where the object landed and what harm, if any, it caused. The same video, and several others verified by Amnesty International, appear to show the police verbally abusing the protesters.

Andro Chichinadze did not receive a fair remand hearing, nor did the others. Their subsequent trials have been marred by serious fair trial violations. Government officials publicly described Andro Chichinadze and others as criminals, in violation of their presumption of innocence. Credible allegations of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment raised by some co-defendants during the trial were not addressed or investigated.

I urge you to quash the unfair convictions and release Andro Chichinadze and the 18 others pending a fair retrial. I further demand an immediate end to the misuse of Georgia’s criminal justice system to suppress dissent.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]