On June 30, 2005, the Tbilisi City Court ordered a three-month pre-trial detention for the president of Georgia’s Wrestling Federation, Aleksi Davitashvili, and athlete Giorgi Revazishvili (nicknamed “Jghana”), who were charged with extortion. According to police reports, the athletes were allegedly demanding money from minibus drivers and market vendors. The group was said to be protected by several “thieves-in-law” — Ramaz Jincharadze, Vakhtang Chachanidze, Tariel Oniani, and Sulkhan Tvalchrelidze — as well as by Davit Kachkachishvili, former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Sixth Division. The criminal network was reportedly led by former wrestler Davit Karseladze, known as “Kalatoza,” whose brother, Vasil Karseladze (“Boi Vaso”), served as the defendants’ lawyer.

Following the judge’s ruling, chaos broke out in the courtroom. According to the press, the hall “looked like a battlefield” as the defendants’ relatives shouted insults at the president and the interior minister. Supporters rejected the extortion allegations, claiming the alleged victim, Givi Iordanov, actually owed money to Davitashvili.

In protest, the wrestlers’ friends and supporters blocked Rustaveli Avenue, demanding their release. The blockade quickly escalated, with participants vowing to keep the avenue closed until the detainees were freed. Members of political parties soon appeared alongside the demonstrators.

Police attempted to clear the roadway but were met with resistance. Tensions rose when plainclothes armed officers joined the operation, making it difficult to distinguish protesters from law enforcement. The situation spiraled into clashes, prompting the deployment of riot police who used force to disperse the crowd. According to Kviris Palitra, even undercover officers were struck in the melee. Later, anti-terror units arrived with armored vehicles and automatic weapons, followed by the Special Tasks Department equipped with shields and batons. Eventually, the protest was broken up.

The violent events on Rustaveli Avenue triggered political and public debate. A discussion in parliament devolved into arguments and scuffles. Several NGOs held a press conference, where Alexander Rondeli, Gia Nodia, Davit Darchiashvili, and Tea Tutberidze stated that while the state had the right to use force to restore order, those who attacked the Supreme Court building should face punishment. They criticized the government’s inconsistency—Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili had earlier met with the protesters’ relatives, only to later authorize the use of force.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), led by Ana Dolidze, condemned the police for using excessive force and for arresting demonstrators under criminal charges, calling such actions unlawful. According to GYLA, ten people were detained, eight of whom were released soon after. The Republican Party highlighted the problem of plainclothes officers detaining civilians. In contrast, Public Defender Sozar Subari argued that the government could have used even stricter measures against the protesters.

Ultimately, five individuals — Giorgi Sauri, Karlo Kublashvili, Dimitri Turashvili, Badri Gogiya, and Imeda Zurabishvili — were sentenced to three months of pre-trial detention for storming the Supreme Court and blocking Rustaveli Avenue. Gogiya and Zurabishvili were arrested on June 30 during the clashes, while the others were detained on July 2 after the review of court footage.