Members of Strong Georgia, Eka Giorgobiani and Tornike Artkmeladze, are being questioned at Tbilisi City Court.

Both of them will answer questions before a magistrate judge regarding why they refused to accept a letter addressed to Strong Georgia leader Badri Japaridze. The letter concerned Japaridze’s summons to the parliamentary temporary investigative commission.

Before the questioning, Tornike Artkmeladze told journalists that they refused to accept the letter, which was delivered to the Lelo office, because it was addressed specifically to Badri Japaridze and not to the political union Strong Georgia. Therefore, he explained, accepting the letter would not have been legally justified.

“At this stage, I do not know what specific questions the prosecutor’s office has for me, but during a phone call, they told me they wanted to question me as a witness regarding Badri Japaridze’s case. We have nothing to hide, which is why I am here, ready to give my testimony and answer their questions.

As for Badri Japaridze’s case, I assume it relates to the so-called failure to appear before the investigative commission. The document delivered to the Lelo office was likely a summons, but since it was not addressed to our political union, accepting it would have been illegal. They had many other ways to deliver it directly to Mr. Badri.

What is happening here has nothing to do with legal procedures; it is entirely a political process. I am a lawyer, and at that moment, I was acting within my legal authority. I should not be questioned as a witness at all. However, our government has completely stepped outside the framework of the Constitution and the law,” said Tornike Artkmeladze.