Zurab Japaridze has been sentenced to 7 months of imprisonment for failing to comply with the investigative commission's request. He has also been banned from holding public office for a period of 2 years

Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change,” has been found guilty by the court of failing to comply with the request of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.

Judge Jvebe Nachkebia sentenced him to 7 months of imprisonment. Additionally, Japaridze has been banned from holding public office for a period of 2 years.

Japaridze did not attend the sentencing hearing. The judge had previously postponed the session at the stage of the defendant’s final statement, but Japaridze did not appear in court.

He is the first opposition politician to be convicted for failing to comply with the request of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.

For context, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze was summoned to provide explanations before the Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission but failed to appear. As a result, he was charged under Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to “failure to comply with the request of the Parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission.” The offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year, and/or disqualification from holding office or engaging in professional activity for up to three years.

As a preventive measure, a bail of 20,000 GEL had been set for Japaridze, which he refused to pay. Consequently, he was arrested in the courtroom on May 22.