Sanctioned Judge Viktor Metreveli found Gocha Samkharadze guilty of participating in an assault on Zviad Koridze at the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi. Samkharadze was charged under Article 126 of the Criminal Code (violence) and was only fined ₾3,000 ( $1,100). This information was disseminated by Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia). The non-governmental organization stated that Judge Metreveli's decision is another example of how the current regime protects its violent supporters.
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Zviad Koridze, a prominent Georgian journalist and civil activist who manages regional offices for TI Georgia, was physically and verbally assaulted by a group identified as Georgian Dream party representatives. The incident occurred in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi on the night of January 14-15. Koridze was in Batumi on a work assignment, observing a court hearing related to Mzia Amaglobeli, a journalist and a political prisoner.
The assault on Zviad Koridze was reportedly led by Dimitri Samkharadze, the regional secretary of Georgian Dream. Gocha Samkharadze, then Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Adjara and former chairman of the Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia faction of the Adjara Supreme Council, also participated along with several others. TI Georgia noted that Gocha Samkharadze is likely a relative of Dimitri Samkharadze.
“Although the assault took place in front of numerous eyewitnesses and was fully captured on the hotel’s surveillance cameras, the Adjara Prosecutor’s Office did not bring any criminal charges for months. Only after our organization published a statement about the case on April 11, 2025, and the issue gained public attention, did the prosecutor’s office take some action. On April 17, 2025, Prosecutor Paata Tsetskhladze charged only one person – Gocha Samkharadze – who struck Koridze. No charges were filed against Dimitri Samkharadze, Giorgi Manvelidze, or the other members of the group,” TI Georgia stated.
The organization noted that the report by the prosecutor severely downplayed and distorted the violence committed against Zviad Koridze. Specifically, it omitted:
- How Dimitri Samkharadze hurled profanities at Koridze;
- How he aggressively kicked the armchair Koridze was sitting on;
- How his behavior encouraged his associates to act similarly;
- How a flower pot filled with soil was thrown at Koridze;
- How Giorgi Manvelidze shouted at Koridze, questioning how he dared come to Batumi, as if Batumi were the private property of Georgian Dream representatives.
TI Georgia accused the Prosecutor's Office of bias and inaction, and the court of distorting the truth and being lenient towards the assailant.
“Despite the group violence, only one individual was charged, leaving the other attackers unpunished. The prosecutor’s office deliberately concealed the full scope of the crime and the roles of other participants,” states TI Georgia.
The organization believes this case is symbolic, as the Batumi incident involving Zviad Koridze is closely connected to Mzia Amaglobeli's trial.
“While journalist Mzia Amaglobeli faces a minimum 4-year prison sentence for slapping a police officer, only one participant in the group assault on Koridze has been punished – and with an inappropriately lenient sentence.
This authoritarian regime not only intensifies pressure on those who oppose inequality and injustice but also shields those who uphold the regime through acts of violence,” Transparency International Georgia's statement says.
