“Zura ‘Girchi’ Japaridze is being a drama queen,” — this is how the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, commented on media reports that one of the leaders of the coalition For Change, Zura “Girchi” Japaridze, refused early release from prison.

As Papuashvili told journalists, everything surrounding Japaridze is a “tragedy without a hero,” because he wants to be seen as a hero, while he lacks both the personal qualities and the circumstances to play that role.

“In general, everything surrounding this individual is a ‘tragedy without a hero.’ He really wants to be a hero, but he lacks both the human resources and the conditions to present himself that way. You remember the day he was arrested — the theatrical drama he staged about his arrest, as if a global tragedy had happened because he was detained. Now it’s the same — Zura ‘Girchi’ Japaridze is being a ‘drama queen’ when he talks about being offered (early release), then looking up at the sky, thinking deeply, and deciding to refuse. It is shameful how he tries to portray himself as a hero with pure drama. This is a completely standard procedure that applies to every prisoner after a certain period. Any inmate can request conditional early release, and then an individual decision is made on each case whether early release is granted or not. He has the same opportunity as any other prisoner — mathematically, the required period has passed, he could have applied, but he did not. Fine, let him not apply — but to present it as heroism… I don’t know. We have seen his ‘heroism’ at the occupation line and what that means,” Papuashvili stated.