“These arrests are happening because there is no other way for them to maintain their power — because the regime needs to escalate tensions more and more and show its strength that way. If they weren’t afraid of us being free, they wouldn’t arrest us. We know very well that they are afraid,” – said Giorgi Vashadze, leader of Strategy Aghmashenebeli, on PalitraNews's program 360 Degrees.

According to him, he is not only ready for imprisonment now — he has been ready since the day he entered politics to oppose Georgian Dream.

“We are ready for this fight. I am fully aware of the battle I’m in. I’m ready for imprisonment — not just now, but ever since I started fighting against this regime, back when many didn’t believe they were pro-Russian, or that they would derail Georgia’s path to the European Union.

I entered politics in 2012, and I’ve always been on the front lines of this fight. Unfortunately, everything we said has been confirmed — this is an anti-democratic, anti-Georgian group that has seized power. These arrests are happening because they have no other way to hold on to power. The regime needs to continuously escalate and use force to demonstrate control. If they weren’t afraid of us being free, they wouldn’t arrest us — we know this very well.”

The opposition politician also said he expects serious changes to begin in the country starting in the fall, and that external factors will play a role.

“I believe that starting in the fall — in September or October — a rather serious process will begin in Georgia. In the meantime, I’m expecting specific decisions from Brussels, Washington, London, and other countries — and not just sanctions. This involves many components. External pressure will increase, and internally, the drive for unity will gain momentum. I believe there will be very serious changes,” stated Giorgi Vashadze.