Court Sends UNM’s Khabeishvili to Pretrial Detention, Sets Bail for Zodelava
Tbilisi City Court placed opposition United National Movement (UNM) politician Levan Khabeishvili in pretrial detention and set bail for another party member, Murtaz Zodelava, who will be released upon posting GEL 25,000 (about USD 9,300). Judge Pikria Sikturashvili announced the decision on September 13, after prosecutors added a coup incitement charge to Khabeishvili’s initial bribery count, following his arrest by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on September 11.
Levan Khabeishvili was arrested for publicly offering riot police money not to disperse protesters, to side with demonstrators, and to hand over sensitive work-related information. He pledged USD 200,000 to any such officer, saying he would “reward” them once he came to power after overthrowing Georgian Dream through a planned “peaceful coup” on October 4, when Georgia holds local elections. The SSSG said the arrest was made on bribery charges, but on September 13, the Prosecutor’s Office announced that, in addition to that count, Khabeishvili has also been charged with publicly inciting the overthrow of the government.
As for Murtaz Zodelava, who will be released upon posting bail, he was initially charged with resisting authorities during Khabeishvili’s arrest. The Prosecutor’s Office has reclassified the charge as unlawful interference with an investigation, which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison.
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