The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Lazare Grigoriadis, a participant in the March protests against the Russian law, to nine years in prison. Judge Zviad Sharadze found him guilty of harming the health of policemen and destroying state property.
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Lazare Grigoriadis does not consider himself guilty. The family is planning to appeal to President Salome Zourabichvili for his pardon.
On March 29, 2023, the police arrested 21-year-old Lazare Grigoriadis. According to the prosecution, on March 7, at a rally against the Russian law on so-called Foreign Agents on Rustaveli Avenue, Grigoriadis threw a Molotov cocktail twice at the Internal Affairs Ministry Special Tasks Department employees who were on duty. Additionally, on March 9, on Chanturia Street, the accused intentionally set fire to a Toyota Corolla belonging to the Internal Affairs Ministry, which burned on the spot and caused property damage of 39 500 GEL to the state budget.
Lazare Grigoriadis was charged with the second part of Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (infringement of the health of a police officer in connection with his official activities) and the second part of Article 187, subsection A (destruction of another's property by setting fire), which provides for imprisonment from 7 to 11 years.
The then Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili, repeatedly violated the presumption of innocence of Lazare Grigoriadis. On April 3, the Prime Minister said that "he [Lazare] intended to burn the policeman alive." On June 30, during his speech in parliament, Gharibashvili once again declared Lazare Grigoriadis guilty: "It turned out that someone, dirty, I don't care who it is, decided to throw a Molotov cocktail directly at the police and burn them alive. I tell you this with indignation. I will be absolutely uncompromising here. We will not forgive anyone for such a thing. This is raising a hand against the state. Let everyone remember this well. Now come out and defend. Why don't they protect?! Why are they not released from prison?! No one can bring him out, no one can forgive this serious crime, who raises his hand against the police."
The Tbilisi City Court refused Lazare Grigoriadis three times to accept the lawsuit against Irakli Gharibashvili and the current chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze. Lazare Grigoriadis demanded the determination of the fact of defamation, the rejection of statements that hurt honor and dignity, and compensation for moral damages.
