The court in Tbilisi upheld the sentence for Gribuly and Zinovkina.

The appellate court in Tbilisi did not satisfy the appeals against the sentence of Russian citizens Artem Gribuly and Anastasia Zinovkina, who were convicted on drug trafficking charges. Zinovkina told the court that she was persecuted for assisting participants in street protests.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Russian citizens Artem Gribuly and Anastasia Zinovkina, who participated in protest actions in Tbilisi, were arrested in December 2024 on drug trafficking charges. They claim that evidence was planted on them and that law enforcement used threats. On September 12, 2025, the court in Tbilisi sentenced both to 8.5 years in prison. A similar sentence was given to protest participant Anton Chechin. In November, appeals against the sentence were submitted to the court.

The appellate court in Tbilisi upheld the sentence for Anastasia Zinovkina and Artem Gribuly, reports the Telegram channel Tbilisi life today. "The panel of judges made the decision without going into deliberation," the publication states.

The Tbilisi appellate court made its decision today, writes Paper Kartuli. According to the publication, Anastasia Zinovkina spoke at the hearing with her final words. The girl stated that she is being persecuted for providing medical assistance to participants in the rally, and that she is denied this assistance in prison. She also mentioned that a priest is not allowed to see her, she was not allowed to register her marriage with Gribuly, and her mother was not allowed into Georgia.

"For justice, for everything that has happened and is happening to me, someone must pay a very high price," the publication quotes Zinovkina's words.

It should be noted that, according to law enforcement, packages containing narcotic substances were found in the apartment where Gribuly and Zinovkina lived. Gribuly's father previously told "Caucasian Knot" that there is a video recording of the search, and the operative appears and disappears from the frame. "There is a moment when operatives are recorded standing at the door, but the investigator disappears from the frame for four minutes. In four minutes, anything can happen, any evidence can be planted," he said. The search recordings captured the presence of an unknown person who is not mentioned in the protocol, the lawyer stated in court.

Zinovkina reported that on October 29, 2025, she did not receive any assistance from the prison staff for eight hours, even though she could not move due to back pain. The Penitentiary Service of Georgia stated that Zinovkina is provided with medical assistance and does not need inpatient treatment. During seizures, Anastasia Zinovkina cannot get out of bed, and her fingers on her right hand and leg have gone numb, her fiancé Artem Gribuly reported.

In January 2026, Anastasia Zinovkina was transferred to a "closed-type" prison, her right to make phone calls was restricted, and the number of visits was reduced. The reason for the tightening of the regime was complaints about the conditions of detention.

In March, it became known that Artem Gribuly's right to make phone calls was also restricted, and the number of visits was reduced. The court decided that Gribuly can now make only three calls a month, and only relatives are allowed to visit. This decision was made based on classified information.