The court placed Girchi-More Freedom party leader, Zurab Japaridze, in pretrial detention for refusing to pay the bail imposed for defying the Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative committee’s summons.
Today’s tense hearing took place amid heavy police mobilization inside and around Tbilisi City Court, as Japaridze’s imprisonment was widely anticipated. Citizens were not admitted to the courtyard. Tensions occasionally flared, with two people reportedly detained. TV crews with cameras were not allowed inside the court building, but some journalists broadcast with mobile phones. Two diplomats from the Czech and Swedish embassies, as well as one Amnesty International representative, attended the hearing in a small courtroom that could only accommodate around 15 people. Other diplomats, reportedly from the German and U.S. embassies, arrived but could not attend. The hearing lasted more than three hours.
Judge Irakli Shvangiradze’s decision to place Japaridze in pretrial detention, satisfying the prosecutors’ request, stemmed from his decision not to pay the GEL 20,000 bail that was imposed by the court on April 16 for his refusal to appear before the temporary investigative commission probing the former United National Movement government. Japaridze, like most of the opposition, says he does not recognize the one-party parliament that was formed following the disputed elections on October 26, 2024.
Other opposition leaders have also been bailed for failing to comply with the parliamentary commission’s summonses. Ahali party leaders Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia have vowed to follow Japaridze’s example, increasing the likelihood that they, too, will face imprisonment. Last week, the court sent Georgia’s former defense minister, Irakli Okruashvili, to pretrial detention in a similar case.
However, some opposition leaders, including Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of Lelo, already posted their bail, and Giorgi Vashadze of Strategy Aghmashenebeli said he would as well. Investigations into their cases for not appearing before the temporary investigative commission were launched and are ongoing.
Not complying with Parliament’s temporary investigative commission is a criminal offense punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison.
Controversial commission
The Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative commission, headed by GD veteran and former justice minister Tea Tsulukiani, is probing alleged crimes by the United National Movement. The commission is hearing alleged victims of the previous government, but also summons former officials and current opposition figures. Most of whom have refused to appear, considering the one-party parliament illegitimate. The exception was Giorgi Gakharia, former Georgian Dream prime minister, who complied.
The commission is addressing issues such as alleged torture, business racketeering, and the August 2008 war, which it blames on the former government and President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Georgian Dream says the commission’s final report will be submitted to the country’s Constitutional Court to ban the UNM and its “successor parties.” GD says it plans to ban the opposition by the end of the year.
Source: civil.ge
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