TBILISI: A Georgian court on Thursday jailed a youth activist for four and a half years for assaulting police during pro-Europe protests as authorities step up a crackdown on dissent.
Georgia has been in political turmoil since disputed parliamentary elections in October triggered protests against what demonstrators call the government´s authoritarian drift in favour of Russia and against the European Union. Tbilisi city court convicted 21-year-old musician and activist Mate Devidze of assaulting police with a stick on November 19 as officers dispersed an anti-government rally.