“Elene Khoshtaria must be released. That is our demand. The fact that Elene is not asking for anything is her strength, but it does not give anyone the right to let her health deteriorate to the point of severe and irreversible damage,” said Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, speaking to journalists before the hearing in the so-called sabotage case.

According to Gvaramia, Khoshtaria is also a defendant in the criminal case, and therefore her legal team will raise the issue of her health condition during the court hearing.

“Today, and for as long as we remain in this situation, I will continue to speak about Elene Khoshtaria. Today, my team and I intend to file a motion regarding Elene, who is a participant in these proceedings. She remains unjustly charged with something that does not constitute a crime at all. Since she is a participant in the proceedings, the judge is obligated to consider her health condition, examine it, and, if necessary - and we know it is necessary - take appropriate measures.

If no measures are taken, starting Monday we will consider how to proceed. In fact, we already have plans, but they need to be coordinated. In any case, no other issue will be on the agenda, at least for our coalition, because we are talking not only about our friend, a person of great importance to Georgia, a politician loved by many, and a mother of four, but also about one of the leaders of our coalition.

I hope the alliance will join us in this effort, as well as political forces outside the alliance. Most importantly, I hope society will join us - as many people as possible. I would like this not to be limited to Rustaveli Avenue, but to extend to the places where such decisions should be made immediately.

Elene must be released. That is our demand. The fact that she is not asking for anything is only to her credit, but it does not give anyone the right to bring her health to the point of severe and irreversible damage. She must be released. Her health condition cannot be improved in prison conditions. We know this not through speculation, but because her health was already in a difficult state before she was imprisoned. By the way, no one has claimed that this condition began in prison. Her medical condition was already serious, but imprisonment has caused such severe complications that it is essential for her to be placed in an appropriate environment,” Gvaramia said.

Regarding developments within the United National Movement, Gvaramia stated that Khoshtaria’s condition is currently his primary concern and that developments within the party are not his responsibility.

“At this moment, Elene’s situation is my main concern. Neither this court hearing nor anything else matters to me as much. As for what is happening in the United National Movement, that is not my business. Whatever developments are taking place within another party are matters for that party to address,” Gvaramia said.

For context, attorney Shota Tutberidze stated at a press conference that the health condition of Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, has worsened. According to him, she is suffering from severe joint pain and mobility problems, which at times prevent her from writing and require her to use a crutch when moving.

Later, the Special Penitentiary Service issued a statement saying that “Elene Khoshtaria is provided with all appropriate conditions and has uninterrupted access to all services, including medical care.”