A Georgian court sentenced Zviad Ratiani, a poet and activist, to two years imprisonment on Thursday for “resisting a law enforcement officer” during anti-government protests.
As per AFP, Georgian prosecutors accused 54-year-old Ratiani of slapping a police officer in the face outside Tbilisi’s parliament building in June.
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Protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party have been continuous for more than 300 days – sparked by a series of shifts by the government away from alignment with Europe and towards Russia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze falsely claimed last month that the popular protest movement was “orchestrated by foreign intelligence services, just as it was during the Maidan.”
The government response to the protest has been marred with accusations of the illegal detention and torture of protesters. Ratiani previously alleged that he had been beaten during a one-week stint in jail last year.
On Oct. 6, Georgian prosecutors charged five opposition figures with attempting to overthrow the government. The organizers of the protest had called for a “peaceful revolution.”
Local elections held at the weekend saw Georgian Dream win every single municipality of the country. The results of the election – which was boycotted by major opposition parties – are contested.
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