The United National Movement issued a statement regarding the investigation launched into the statement made by one of the party leaders, Giorgi Baramidze.

The party believes that the case is politically motivated.

The National Movement is convinced that this slanderous and absurd case does not have a legal basis, but serves the political goals of the Ivanishvili regime and the tasks of Russian propaganda.”

“The criminal case initiated today against Giorgi Baramidze is another example of how the government has finally turned the prosecutor’s office into an instrument of political revenge and Russian political propaganda.

Giorgi Baramidze fought for Georgia’s independence, territorial integrity and freedom throughout his life, including with weapons in his hands as an ordinary soldier in Abkhazia and Ukraine. The very people who today accuse him of patriotism have been justifying Russia’s interests for years, damaging Georgia’s international positions and diverting the country from its European path. Let us recall the public statements made by Bidzina Ivanishvili and his representatives about a public apology to the Abkhazians.

How symbolic it is that today, on the day of the start of Russia’s large-scale aggression, they have begun to prosecute a person whom Russia sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison for fighting against Russian aggression in Ukraine.

When the Kremlin declares and punishes Giorgi Baramidze as its enemy, the Georgian Dream government accuses the same person of treason.

Patriotism is not defined by the Kremlin, nor by the Georgian Dream prosecutor’s office or propaganda. Serving the interests of Georgia is not a crime, and the criminal prosecution of political opponents cannot change this truth.

We are convinced that this slanderous and absurd case but serves the political goals of the Ivanishvili regime and the tasks of Russian propaganda. This fabricated case is yet another proof of the Russian nature of this regime.

The United National Movement considers the persecution of Giorgi Baramidze politically motivated and will oppose any illegal steps against him through legal and political means,” reads the party’s statement.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia has launched an investigation into the fact of treason and sabotage. In particular, the case concerns an interview given to Iago Khvichia by one of the leaders of the National Movement, Giorgi Baramidze, in which he notes that during the war in Abkhazia, “we had no captives, Georgians did not held captives, Georgians killed them.” ​​