Zurab Japaridze, leader of the coalition "For Change", spoke to journalists before the trial of opposition politicians accused in the so-called sabotage case at Tbilisi City Court. He said the charges against him include sabotage and assisting hostile foreign states.

“There are two charges against me and others like Elene Khoshtaria and Giorgi Vashadze; for some others, there is one. One charge concerns sabotage, supposedly regarding events on Rustaveli Avenue in November-December 2002. The prosecution has no real evidence. Their main proof is testimonies from about 20 police officers, who claim they saw us supposedly inciting people. All the videos and audio recordings they present are from public events. Some come from our summer camps, previously aired by Imedi. The firearms shown are legal, obtained and taught according to safety rules,” Japaridze said.

Regarding the second charge of aiding hostile foreign states, Japaridze emphasized:

“This is really about working with foreign countries to sanction certain leaders of ‘Georgian Dream,’ mainly Bidzina Ivanishvili. We are being prosecuted because the U.S. sanctioned Ivanishvili. The evidence they cite is entirely our public statements on the sanctions.”

He also stressed that all camp footage was publicly disclosed and that none of the evidence is connected to the alleged events.

For context, the General Prosecutor’s Office has initiated new criminal proceedings against Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze. The charges relate to crimes against the state, including sabotage, assistance to hostile foreign states, financing activities against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security, and incitement to overthrow the constitutional order or state authority.