Badri Japaridze, one of the leaders of Lelo - Strong Georgia, commented on the pre-trial hearing of the so-called sabotage case. He said that grouping politicians and prosecuting them collectively is unprecedented and harmful to the country’s interests.

“When something undermines our country, its statehood, or harms the state, processes like this occur. What’s new is that politicians have been grouped together and are being judged collectively. This is very damaging to our country’s interests,” Japaridze said.

The case, initiated by the General Prosecutor’s Office, involves new criminal charges against Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze himself.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the charges relate to crimes against the state, including sabotage, assisting a foreign country in hostile activities, financing actions against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security, and calling for violent changes to the constitutional order or the overthrow of state power.