On 23 June, a Georgian court sentenced three opposition leaders to prison: Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of Lelo – Strong Georgia, and Zurab "Girchi" Japaridze of the Coalition for Change.
Japaridze had already been in pre-trial detention for two months, while Khazaradze and Japaridze are to be taken into custody today. All three were convicted for failing to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission chaired by former Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani.
More opposition figures are expected to be sentenced in the coming days, including former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia.
As a result, nearly all major opposition parties in Georgia have now been left without leadership — at least until the end of the year.
Zurab Japaridze, a leader of the Coalition for Change, was sentenced to seven months in prison. He has also been banned from holding public office for the next two years.
The court found Japaridze guilty of defying a summons from the parliamentary commission chaired by former Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani. On 16 April, he was ordered to pay 20,000 lari in bail for failing to appear before the commission — a sum he refused to pay. He was arrested in the courtroom and held in pre-trial detention for two months. His final sentence was handed down today.
For the same reason — failing to appear before the Tsulukiani commission — Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Lelo – Strong Georgia, was sentenced to eight months in prison. The opposition leader did not attend the hearing. He had previously posted bail in the amount of 50,000 lari.
Badri Japaridze, also a leader of Lelo – Strong Georgia, was sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from holding public office for two years. He did not attend the sentencing hearing and was not given the opportunity to deliver a closing statement.
Japaridze had been released on bail set at 50,000 lari, which he paid within the legal deadline.
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