**Georgia: Three People Sentenced for May Protests**
On January 20, 2025, the Tbilisi City Court handed down prison sentences to three individuals involved in the May 2024 protests against Georgia’s Foreign Agents’ Law.
**Two Sentenced to 10 Months**
Omar Okribelashvili and Saba Meparishvili will serve 10 months in prison. They were accused of participating in the protests, but no further details about their charges were mentioned in the court ruling.
**Young Man Sentenced to Five Years**
Pridon Bubuteishvili, a 20-year-old at the time of his arrest, was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. He was arrested on May 9, 2024, for allegedly damaging property and injuring a firefighter’s shoulder.
**Concerns Over New Law**
The protests against the Foreign Agents’ law were followed by the government‘s adoption of an amendment to the Georgian Criminal Code. The new provision makes anyone accused of collectively damaging property liable to imprisonment without any alternative penalty. Critics argue that this law could lead to unfairly harsh punishments for participants in rallies and demonstrations.
**Statement from Human Rights Watch**
The South Caucasus Civil Society Forum said that the cases of Okribelashvili and Mepharishvili demonstrate “the political instrumentalization of the judiciary” and the “unjust exemplary punishment of political activists.” The organization argues that the government is using disproportionate and unfair criminal legislation to maintain its legitimacy.
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