Badri Japaridze Rejects Legitimacy of Georgian Dream's Investigative Commission
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Badri Japaridze, one of the leaders of Lelo, has announced that he will not appear before the parliamentary investigative commission established by Georgian Dream to examine the activities of the former Unity-National Movement (UNM) government.
Japaridze dismissed the commission as illegitimate, calling it a one-party structure aimed at smearing political opponents with fabricated accusations.
"I do not consider this so-called Investigative Commission to be established on the basis of the law!" Japaridze wrote in a statement on social media. "This is a planned slanderous show, in which I do not intend to participate."
Commission chair Tea Tsulukiani stated that Japaridze was expected to appear between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM on March 25. Since he refused, the commission will reconvene on March 26 at 10:00 AM to discuss forwarding his case to the prosecutor's office. Under Georgian law, ignoring a parliamentary commission's summons can result in a fine or up to one year in prison.
Japaridze, however, remained firm in his refusal, arguing that the Georgian Dream-led parliament itself is illegitimate, formed through fraudulent elections. He emphasized that a proper investigative commission should be formed only under a legally elected parliament that upholds democratic standards.
Mamuka Khazaradze, another key Lelo leader, also refused to attend the commission's session today. His case has also been referred to the prosecutor's office along with that of Japaridze's.
