“This case is nonsense, full of complete absurdities,” said Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, accused in the so-called sabotage case, during a court hearing.

According to him, everything was done so that opposition leaders, all together in the courtroom, could be “shown by Bidzina Ivanishvili to his voters.”

“But why are they doing it? Today, all the more or less prominent leaders were put together in court so that a photo could be circulated — and it was — to show Bidzina Ivanishvili to his electorate.

I believe the purpose of all this is that when the war in Ukraine ends and Russia turns its attention to us, the country will be left without defense and friends,” Japaridze stated.

For reference, in the so-called sabotage case, the Prosecutor General’s Office charged Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze.

Specifically:

Giorgi Vashadze and Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze are charged under Article 318(1) and Article 319 of the Criminal Code, covering sabotage and assisting a foreign country in hostile activities. This carries a sentence of 7–15 years imprisonment.

Elene Khoshtaria is charged under Articles 318(1), 319, and 321¹(1), covering sabotage, providing material resources for the crime, and assisting a foreign country in 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, which covers calls to violently change Georgia’s constitutional order or overthrow state power.

As a preventive measure, Giorgi Vashadze and Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze have bail set at 30,000 GEL each, while Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have bail set at 1 million GEL each.