საინფორმაციო სააგენტო ინტერპრესნიუსი

The lawyers of Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, a member of the Coalition for Change, left the courtroom in protest.

“They’re trying to ensure that as many people as possible end up in prison so that they can sell this image abroad, as if politicians in Georgia are being imprisoned — to promote the same false narrative they’ve been pushing,” said Vice Speaker of Parliament Nino Tsilosani in response to several opposition figures refusing to pay bail.

"The only reason they are continuing the court hearing now (after working hours) is because they don’t want to bring and mobilize all these police forces again — they’ll have to pay them bonuses afterwards," said Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze during a break in his court hearing.

The Prosecutor’s Office is requesting to change the preventive measure imposed on Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, a member of the “Coalition for Change,” specifically the 20,000 GEL bail.

Activists Albi Kordzaia and Salome Kenchiashvili were reportedly detained by Ministry of Internal Affairs officers near the Tbilisi City Court.

Parliament is beginning discussions on the initiative to abolish the Special Investigation Service. On May 23, the legislative package will be reviewed by the Legal Affairs and the Defense and Security Committees.

According to the Emergency Management Service, the mountaineer and mountain guide Nikoloz Faliani, who fell from a height and died during an expedition, has been brought to Mestia.

"We are seeing a frightened government with shaking knees. Hundreds and thousands of police officers were deployed just to arrest one man," — said Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the “Lelo – Strong Georgia” coalition, while speaking to journalists.

The EU Ambassador to Georgia has our full support and trust, and his statements accurately reflect and respect the European Union’s position, said Anita Hipper, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission, during a press conference in Brussels in response to a question from InterpressNews.

There is commotion near the courtroom inside the Tbilisi City Court building, where the preliminary hearing of Zurab (Girchi) Japaridze is scheduled to take place.

"I do not believe that Lithuania’s decision is based on principled considerations related to elections, human rights protection, or any other declared issue — I think this double game is largely driven by a specific political scenario aimed at changing the government," said the First Vice Speaker of Parliament, Gia Volski, in a comment to journalists.

The court has been turned into a fortress, all the doors are locked. It seems they are planning to arrest Zurab Japaridze — this is today's prison-state. Opposition politician Gigi Ugulava made this statement to journalists.

The Head of the Patrol Police, Vazha Siradze, has explained the reason for the mobilization of police forces near Tbilisi City Court.

According to the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, Lithuania’s decision to revoke the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens holding diplomatic and service passports constitutes a gross and legally unfounded violation of the 2010 international agreement titled “Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the Facilitation of the Issuance of Visas.”

“Paying bail doesn’t free anyone from the threat of imprisonment. The risk remains. So how someone makes their decision depends on them. This topic has been artificially brought into the public discourse. We need to refocus and stop debating with each other. Instead, we should continue making decisions aimed at weakening this regime” - Saba Buadze, one of the leaders of “Lelo/Strong Georgia,” made this statement on PalitraNews' program “Day’s Newsroom.”

Rusudan Sharadze, the daughter of the murdered professor Guram Sharadze, made this statement during a session of the parliamentary temporary investigative commission.

"I don’t want to see an opposition politician in prison. Zurab Japaridze can do much more for this country while free, and therefore, of course, we condemn his arrest," said Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of Gakharia – For Georgia, during his appearance on PalitraNews’s Daily Newsroom program.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Studio Monitor, and Georgia’s Voice, along with their leaders, have filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court requesting the annulment of the “Foreign Agents Registration Act” and the suspension of the relevant provisions of the law until the case is resolved.

The question was provocative, and the diplomat could only respond the way he did — by saying that if such a situation exists, there would be an appropriate response in any other region. But such a government does not exist in Georgia, said Archil Gorduladze, Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, when assessing U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s remarks.

Lithuania has revoked the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens who hold diplomatic and official passports.

Bail does not release a person from the criminal prosecution initiated by the regime – don’t rush, don’t be quick to sacrifice or dismiss someone when you don’t even know them or their plans.

Referring to the parliament elected by the people as "illegitimate," along with spreading disinformation, is a rejection of democratic institutions – this is what the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, wrote on social media, sharing a statement from GYLA.