The substantive hearings in the so-called “sabotage” case against Georgia’s eight opposition leaders are continuing at an accelerated pace. The defendants and their lawyers expect a verdict by the end of this month or, at the latest, in August.
While the court initially held roughly one hearing per month, over the past month proceedings have accelerated to two hearings a week. As prosecutor Ani Khubejashvili describes it, the accelerated pace demonstrates the prosecution’s intensive work, with at least four witnesses examined at each hearing.
Eight opposition leaders are being tried behind closed doors. Neither the media nor the public has access to the proceedings, leaving observers unable to hear the testimony, watch the hearings, or scrutinise what takes place inside the courtroom. Information reaches the public only through the accounts and interpretations of the parties involved.
On 23 February, the substantive hearings in the case against eight opposition leaders began in court. On the same day, Judge Tamar Makharoblidze closed the proceedings to the public, ordering the media and those attending the hearing to leave the courtroom.
At the latest hearing on 9 July, prosecutors called four additional witnesses in the case against Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab (Girchi) Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze. The witnesses included two police officers and two forensic experts.
According to the defendants and their lawyers, the witnesses once again failed to provide evidence supporting the prosecution’s case.
“One witness — a police officer — made a statement which, according to the prosecution, supposedly supports the charges. He said the politicians were addressing the crowd during the protests. That was the strongest piece of evidence presented today. We will challenge it. As for everything else, he said he had neither heard nor seen anything,” said lawyer Zviad Kordzadze, who represents Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze.
Before the hearing began, Badri Japaridze and Zurab Japaridze reiterated what the defendants and their lawyers have argued from the outset: that the case is politically motivated and that the ruling Georgian Dream party aims to eliminate its political opponents. They say the prosecution’s witnesses have little to testify about beyond having seen opposition politicians at demonstrations, observing them speaking, moving their lips or making gestures. However, they have been unable to reconstruct those gestures or testify to what was actually said.
“A few days ago, we saw around twenty representatives of Georgian Dream physically assault two members of the For Georgia party in parliament. They severely beat them, yet the Speaker of Parliament later claimed there had never been a precedent for opening a criminal investigation over such violence.
… There is no precedent anywhere in the world for criminally prosecuting political leaders over gestures — even if such gestures had actually been made. It is obvious that Georgian Dream’s objective is to neutralise political leaders and political parties through repression. It is an entirely futile attempt,” Badri Japaridze said.
Zurab Japaridze also commented on the reasons behind the accelerated pace of the trial.
“Every political leader who collectively defeated Georgian Dream in the 2024 elections will either end up in prison or be forced out of the country. That is their objective. It is also a message to the West: either we reach an arrangement on our terms, or we will imprison or drive out the people you are talking to.
They are also clearing the political field. They are making room for those political actors who have spent months and years saying that the old faces should leave and new ones should take over. They are leaving them the field to themselves. Naturally, someone will step in and carry on.
Bidzina Ivanishvili cares about nothing except avoiding sanctions against himself. His personal sanctioning has become the central issue. Apparently, sanctioning Ivanishvili is now being portrayed as weakening the country. Therefore, according to this logic, everyone who advocated for sanctions has ‘weakened’ Georgia because the West sanctioned Ivanishvili.
But sanctions do not depend on us. We may say a million times that someone deserves to be sanctioned, but sanctions are ultimately the result of decisions made under the policies of individual countries,” Japaridze said.
Most of the defendants did not attend the hearing. Nika Melia and Elene Khoshtaria have not attended any of the proceedings.
Charges against the opposition leaders:
Mikheil Saakashvili is charged under Article 317 of Georgia’s Criminal Code with publicly calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order or the government.
Zurab (Girchi) Japaridze and Giorgi Vashadze are charged under Article 318(1) and Article 319 with sabotage and assisting a foreign state in hostile activities.
Elene Khoshtaria is charged under Article 318(1), Article 319, and Article 321¹(1) with sabotage, providing material resources for the commission of sabotage, and assisting a foreign state in hostile activities.
Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia are charged under Article 318(1) with sabotage.
