"This process is one big circus and a punitive operation by Ivanishvili to extort a large sum of money from me," said Giorgi Bachiashvili, former director of the Co-Investment Fund and a defendant, regarding his court case.

As Bachiashvili told journalists, if it were up to the honorary chairman of "Georgian Dream," Bidzina Ivanishvili, there would be no trial at all, and he would be sent directly to prison.

"If they had their way entirely, they wouldn’t hold these hearings at all and would just send me straight to prison. Ivanishvili simply wants to maintain a semblance of formality, to make it look like something is happening in this building and that it has anything to do with justice. So, anything is possible—nothing should surprise you. This process is one big circus and a punitive operation by Ivanishvili to extort a large sum of money from me," Bachiashvili stated.

According to him, there is a list of 150 people who are either to be imprisoned or expelled from the country.

Bachiashvili did not disclose the source of this information but noted that the government is using all possible dirty methods.

"I have information about this list. I can't reveal names or sources, but it comes from inside. They are working to identify all the people whose arrests, in their opinion, would suppress the nationwide protest. The list includes businessmen, activists, politicians, and cultural figures—all those who are currently the face of this protest. But no matter how many people they arrest, new ones will always rise because this is a nationwide protest. No one is being paid, and no one is standing here for money—everyone is defending their values. They are preparing all kinds of dirty tricks, including fabricating cases. Provocations are also in the works. We have already seen multiple provocations, and they are considering all possible forceful methods—intimidation, persecution, bribery. This regime will do whatever it can," Bachiashvili said.