The leader of Lelo – For Strong Georgia, Badri Japaridze, has been found guilty by the court for failing to comply with the request of the Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission.

According to the ruling by Judge Zviad Sharadze, Japaridze was sentenced to 8 months of imprisonment and was banned from holding public office for a period of 2 years.

The defendant was not present at the announcement of the verdict and did not make a final statement.

For context, Badri Japaridze had been summoned by the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Georgian Parliament to provide testimony, but he did not appear. As a result, he was charged under Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which refers to “failure to comply with the request of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia.” This offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year, along with a prohibition from holding office or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.

As a preventive measure, a bail of 50,000 GEL had been set for Japaridze, which he paid within the legally prescribed timeframe.

It should be noted that today two other opposition politicians were also sentenced to imprisonment. Specifically, the judge sentenced Zurab Japaridze to 7 months in prison and barred him from holding public office for 2 years, while Mamuka Khazaradze was sentenced to 8 months in prison with the same 2-year ban from holding office. In all three cases, the charges were related to their refusal to cooperate with the parliamentary investigative commission.