Domestic Reactions to ‘Sabotage’ Charges Against Opposition Leaders
Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office announced on November 6 that it is filing charges against eight opposition leaders – ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, Strategy Agmashenebeli‘s Giorgi Vashadze, Ahali’s Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia, Girchi – More Freedom’s Zurab Girchi Japaridze, Droa‘s Elene Khoshtaria, and Lelo for Georgia’s Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze – over “crimes committed against the state.”
Prosecutors allege that the opposition members plotted sabotage, cooperated with foreign actors, and incited violent unrest after the disputed October 26, 2024 elections. The authorities also claim that they sought to provoke international sanctions and financed “violent groups” during protests that started on November 28, 2024. Prosecutors said that they would seek bail for Lelo’s Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, and that pre-trial hearings would be scheduled for the others, who are currently all in jail on different charges.
Civil.ge compiled initial reactions from across Georgia’s political spectrum.
Ruling Party
Kakha Kaladze, Tbilisi Mayor: “When you engage in political activity and represent your country, you must first protect the interests of your people and your nation. We can recall concrete examples when the interests of other countries were taken into account at the expense of trampling on our own national interests. It’s a very serious matter. What does retaliation against the opposition have to do with this?.. These people were running from office to office to prevent the signing of the Association Agreement and to block Georgia from receiving [EU] candidate status. They did everything anti-state and anti-Georgian. Therefore, there is no place and there will never be a place for such agents and individuals without homeland in Georgian politics.”
Archil Gorduladze, head of disputed Parliament’s Legal Issues Committee: “The facts voiced by the Prosecutor General are not new. The public is well aware of what the members of the collective United National Movement have done and, regrettably, continue to do today. This, of course, refers to attempts at sabotage and overthrow, as well as to making statements against the interests of our country.”
Davit Matikashvili, GD lawmaker: “They were calling for the country’s destruction – they were not asking for [just] sanctions; they demanded a rain of bombs, confrontation with Russia, and the death of the Georgian people. These forces, and by their actions they have caused so much damage to our country that there is truly nothing surprising about a demand that these people be held criminally accountable.
Opposition
Tina Bokuchava, UNM Chair: “The regime today declared that criticism of it, including criticism voiced with foreign partners, as well as any meeting, planned visit abroad, expression of opinion, and, in reality, any defense of our country’s national interests and the rights of Georgian citizens are crimes and are punishable by imprisonment by Ivanishvili’s Russian occupation regime. This is an open confirmation that Ivanishvili intends to establish a dictatorship in the country, where both political parties and expression of free thought will be banned.”
Mamuka Khazaradze, Lelo leader: “Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Russian Dream are in a very serious panic…No matter what you do in Georgia, you cannot stop freedom of speech, you cannot kill the political process. You may try very hard, but you will not be able to take democracy away from the Georgian people. The struggle will continue on our side within all lawful bounds. Even though we do not have a court or justice, we will continue this fight and we will not allow such absurdities the chance to fool people.”
Badri Japaridze, Lelo leader: “The government that is directly sabotaging our country and its European future now accuses us of sabotage…This is, of course, the Prosecutor’s Office carrying out a political order with the aim of destroying politicians and politics itself. But I believe that through this, Georgian Dream is only speeding up its own political burial, because the absurdity I heard, that we are accused of sabotage against the state, is a complete inversion of reality.”
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa: “Many thanks to the Prosecutor’s Office for recognizing my work – I have always struggled with PR. Yes, I have been and will continue working intensively on sanctioning the ‘Russian Dream.’ Though you made one mistake: it is not just for the past year, but I have been working against Russia since 2002. Yes, I have always been and will remain very active in the protests. Go ahead and write, ask around, Russians – you will not survive anyway.”
Nika Gvaramia, Ahali chair: “I have ended up on the extremely honorable list of Georgian patriots and irreconcilable fighters!.. Georgian Dream, go on – push it to the end, conquer every peak of madness! This only renews our goal: your overthrow, which will mean a united, successful, European Georgia… The oligarchy must be overthrown! P.S. I will sabotage you, Georgian Dreamers.”
Giorgi Sharashidze, Gakharia for Georgia: “A lengthy prison sentence is also hanging over our party leader, Giorgi Gakharia, for defending Georgian lands… So, nothing surprises us coming from Georgian Dream. It is impossible to decipher their logic. What matters is the purpose this all serves, and that will soon become clear. There is a fairly reasonable opinion that this case may be yet another attempt to create an image of an enemy and a scarecrow from the United National Movement.”
Giorgi Kirtadze, member of Coalition for Change: “The regime has decided to bring cases against political leaders on serious charges…We all well understand that this is a response to the harsh conclusion of the European Commission on enlargement…We understand well that the regime is now trying to signal to the whole country and the world that there is no chance for change here. From their point of view, this should create a feeling of hopelessness among the Georgian people. But instead of hopelessness, I am convinced […] that this will produce greater motivation for the fight, and we will be able to create a united, strong, and democratic front.”
Salome Zurabishvili, fifth President of Georgia: “Russian handbook at work: new accusations leveled by the General Prosecutor against almost all opposition leaders. Sabotage, plotting to topple the government, serving foreign interests…carrying sentences up to 11 years. GD answers EU’s Report: “We don’t care.”
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