“To defend yourself, you need to know what you’re being accused of. Does collective guilt exist anywhere?” said Giorgi Vashadze, a defendant in the so-called “sabotage case,” speaking about the charges and case materials.

He stated that although he had received the case files, he could not find any actions or facts for which the prosecution seeks his punishment.

“I don’t know what your practice is. When the indictment was presented to me, I couldn’t understand what I am being accused of. In the case materials, I found nothing - no covert recordings, nothing. There’s nothing.

“To defend yourself, you have to know what you are being accused of. Does collective guilt exist anywhere?

“Tell me what is included in my charge, what am I being accused of? It just says that something is happening in the world, and some names are mentioned.

“I need to know individually what I am being accused of,” Vashadze stated in court.

For context, the trial of eight politicians charged in the so-called sabotage case - Mikheil Saakashvili, Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, Giorgi Vashadze, Badri Japaridze, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Elene Khoshtaria - is ongoing at the Tbilisi City Court. The session is attended by Saakashvili, Gvaramia, Z. Japaridze, Vashadze, and B. Japaridze.

The Prosecutor General’s Office filed charges against these politicians several months ago.

Specifically:

• Giorgi Vashadze and Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze are charged under Article 318, Part 1, and Article 319 of the Criminal Code, covering sabotage and assistance to foreign hostile activities, punishable by 7 to 15 years imprisonment.

• Elene Khoshtaria is charged under Articles 318(1), 319, and 321prima(1), covering sabotage, providing material resources for the crime, and assistance to foreign hostile activities.

• Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze are charged under Article 318(1), covering sabotage.

• Mikheil Saakashvili is charged under Article 317, covering calls to violently change Georgia’s constitutional order or overthrow state power.

Regarding preventive measures, Giorgi Vashadze and Zurab “Girchii” Japaridze have bail set at 30,000 GEL, while Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have bail set at 1 million GEL.