On June 23, the Tbilisi City Court handed down prison sentences to three key figures in Georgia’s opposition who were accused of refusing to cooperate with a parliamentary investigative commission. The verdict concerned Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the political movements “Strong Georgia” and “Lelo,” Zurab Japaridze, head of the “Girchi – More Freedom” party and the “Coalition for Change,” and Badri Japaridze, a leading figure in both “Strong Georgia” and “Lelo,” reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Echo of the Caucasus.
The court sentenced Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze to eight months in prison, while Zurab Japaridze received a seven-month term. The charges stemmed from their deliberate refusal to cooperate with a parliamentary commission investigating the actions of former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration during the years 2004 to 2012.
Prior to the sentencing, the ruling party “Georgian Dream” swiftly passed legislative amendments criminalizing the refusal to appear before parliamentary commissions. Government representatives claimed that the opposition leaders’ consistent absence from the commission’s sessions was part of a “devious plan” aimed at obstructing the investigation.
The parliamentary commission in question is preparing a report on the Saakashvili presidency, which is intended to be submitted to the Constitutional Court. The commission plans to request that Saakashvili’s political party, the “United National Movement,” be declared unconstitutional.
Earlier we wrote that Georgia reduces visa-free travel for ukrainians from three to one year.