“We all understand very well that if people in Georgia were punished for statements made in the interests of the state that later ended up serving the enemy’s advantage, then, first and foremost, every spokesperson for Ivanishvili’s regime would be in prison,” Irakli Pavlenishvili, chairman of the governing council of the United National Movement, told journalists.

According to him, there is no legal basis whatsoever in the case against Baramidze.

“Of course, we all understand very well that if people were punished in Georgia for statements made in the interests of the state that later ended up serving the enemy’s advantage, then, first and foremost, every spokesperson for Ivanishvili’s regime would be in prison. This is because the occupying regimes, including the Kremlin, very often use statements by Kobakhidze, Papuashvili and others to claim that Georgia started the war and that Saakashvili committed a crime.

Therefore, it is clear that this is not their real motivation. They simply appropriated a decision handed down by a Russian court a year ago, and Mr. Giorgi Baramidze has been arrested for this purpose. That is why we all understand very well that there is no legal element whatsoever involved in this case,” Pavlenishvili said.

For reference, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, United National Movement leader Giorgi Baramidze was detained on charges of treason against the homeland, specifically sabotage. The case concerns statements Baramidze made about the war in Abkhazia. The charge carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.