Opposition Leaders of Lelo - Strong Georgia Detained by Authorities
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, leaders of the opposition party Lelo - Strong Georgia, were detained by law enforcement officers at the party's headquarters.
During the detention, chants such as "Fire to the oligarchy," "Police everywhere, justice nowhere," and "Slaves" were heard from demonstrators gathered outside the office. Among those present were supporters, politicians, and the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili.
The detentions come after a court ruling found both Khazaradze and Japaridze guilty of failing to comply with the demands of a parliamentary temporary investigative commission. Judge Zviad Sharadze sentenced each of them to eight months in prison and banned them from holding public office for two years. Neither leader attended the announcement of the verdict, and Khazaradze did not use his right to make a final statement.
Outside the party office, Dimitri Tskitishvili, a member of the For Georgia party, condemned the detentions. He described the events as part of a broader move toward a "Russian model" of governance. According to Tskitishvili, the arrests are politically motivated and aim to suppress opposition voices.
"Behind each detained person stand many people and a firm resolve not to reconcile with what is happening in the country. This is a clear and open move toward establishing a Russian model. As long as we can still express protest, this regime cannot be established," Tskitishvili said.
Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, also issued a strong response, accusing the ruling party of targeting political opponents out of fear and describing the detentions as a sign of weakness.
"This is an attempt by the regime to demonstrate force, nothing more. We will not back down under any circumstances; on the contrary, we will fight even more unitedly. Ivanishvili and Kobakhidze are afraid of open political opposition and imprison political opponents only when they feel threatened," said Vashadze.
