Court Sentences Irakli Okruashvili to 8 Months in Prison

Irakli Okruashvili, who was arrested on May 14 after failing to pay a GEL 20,000 bail imposed as a pre-trial measure, was not present for today's verdict.

"During the process of creating and operating this investigative commission, both constitutional norms and [parliamentary] procedural norms have been violated. If the court had approached this objectively, it would have led to an acquittal. However, given the current practice – if I'm not mistaken, there have been seven similar verdicts on this issue – a conviction was expected, and the sentence was predictable. We got exactly what we expected. This doesn't mean the verdict is lawful.

Not appearing before the commission was Irakli Okruashvili's way of expressing his civic stance, while not paying bail was an act of solidarity with prisoners of conscience and Mzia Amaglobeli," stated Okruashvili's lawyer, Mamuka Chabashvili.

While Okruashvili was in detention, the prosecutor's office brought new charges against him – he is accused of committing a crime under Article 151, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, which involves threatening to kill, harm health, or destroy property. According to Mamuka Chabashvili, the preliminary court hearing for this case is scheduled for July 25 at the Gori District Court.

"He was charged with a banal incident that occurred two years ago in his village in Gori, within his neighborhood. It's clear that this won't end with an 8-month imprisonment, and they are trying to add more to the existing sentence," the lawyer noted.

Last week, Tbilisi City Court found Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition party Coalition for Change, guilty of the same charge and sentenced him to 8 months in prison.

Opposition politician Givi Targamadze, another leader of Coalition for Change Zurab Japaridze, and Strategy Aghmashenebeli leader Giorgi Vashadze have each been sentenced to 7 months in prison. Similar to Gvaramia and Okruashvili, Lelo - For Georgia leaders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze are serving 8-month prison sentences.

Nika Melia, leader of Coalition for Change, has also been arrested under Article 349 of the Criminal Code (non-compliance with a request of a temporary parliamentary investigative commission). The court has not yet announced a verdict in his case.

Georgian Dream established the so-called temporary investigative commission in a one-party Parliament on February 5. Its stated purpose is to investigate the activities of the United National Movement (UNM) government and its officials from 2003 to 2012. Approximately two months later, the commission's mandate was expanded, and it now operates under the following name: Temporary Parliamentary Investigative Commission for the Study of the Activities of the Regime in Power from 2003-2012, its Political Officials, and Current and Former Officials Affiliated with Political Parties from 2003 to the Present.

Georgian Dream aims to ban the UNM and other opposition parties that have not recognized the results of the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, refused their mandates, and demand new elections.