“The autocratic system no longer has any red lines when it comes to its opponents, so the arrest of Gia Baramidze was expected. It is an act of extreme political malice and an absurd legal charge to claim that he committed ‘treason’ or ‘sabotage’ against Georgia,” Gigi Tsereteli, leader of European Georgia, said in response to the detention of United National Movement member Giorgi Baramidze on charges of sabotage.

According to him, “What is actually damaging Georgia’s reputation and interests is not Gia Baramidze’s words, but the undemocratic, anti-Western policies of the current government.”

“The statement he made on the program was baseless, ill-considered, and unacceptable — no one has hidden this, and society’s assessment, including that of his political allies, was clear. Gia himself acknowledged this, provided an additional explanation, and publicly apologized. After all this, his detention on the stated charges is clearly political persecution.

I have known Gia for a very long time. We were part of the same political team for years, and later our political paths diverged, but we always maintained our friendship and personal relationship.

He belongs to that group of politicians who never engage in intrigues or act against anyone behind their back. Gia is an honest, straightforward, and loyal person who is devoted to his country. That is why it is particularly unjust when this very loyalty is used against him.

What truly damages Georgia’s reputation and interests is not Gia Baramidze’s words, but the undemocratic, anti-Western policies of the current government. It is precisely a strong, free, and European Georgia that can provide a solid foundation for rapprochement with Abkhaz and Ossetian communities.

Gia has been sentenced to imprisonment in Russia for supporting Ukraine, and a somewhat patriotic government would not create problems for political figures or civil activists who are threatened with imprisonment by an occupying power. Here, however, we are seeing the opposite.

The persecution of Tornike Razmadze is another example of this — he is being threatened with punishment for verbally insulting Kremlin propagandists who hate Georgia.

Solidarity with Gia, his family, and friends!

Freedom for him and for all political prisoners!” Gigi Tsereteli wrote on social media.

For reference, Giorgi Baramidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, was arrested on charges of treason against the homeland, specifically sabotage. The case concerns a statement made by Baramidze about the war in Abkhazia, namely that “during the initial stage of the 1992–1993 armed conflict in Abkhazia, members of the Georgian armed forces did not take prisoners and executed them on the spot.”

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, his statement damaged the reputation of Georgia’s Defense Forces and undermined the honor and dignity of veterans who participated in the Abkhazia war and deceased military personnel. At the same time, Giorgi Baramidze’s actions allegedly threatened the process of reconciliation and confidence-building with populations affected by the conflict, harmed Georgia’s peacebuilding and de-occupation policy, and obstructed the normal functioning of state institutions, including the activities of the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality and the effective functioning of mechanisms established by the office for confidence-building and cooperation.

The charge carries a sentence of up to four years’ imprisonment.