Georgian Prosecutors Launch Criminal Case Against Eight Key Opposition Figures
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, November 7, 2025
The Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia has initiated criminal proceedings against eight prominent domestic opposition leaders, including jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili, on charges concerning crimes against the state. The announcement was made by Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze at a briefing, following a joint investigation by the Prosecutor's Office, the State Security Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The individuals against whom criminal prosecution has been initiated are Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nikanor Melia, Zurab Girchi Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze.
The charges encompass multiple serious offenses against the state, specifically: sabotage, aiding hostile activities of a foreign state, financing activities directed against Georgia's constitutional order and national security, and incitement to violent overthrow of the Government and change of Georgia's constitutional order.
The Prosecutor General's Office detailed specific charges for some of the defendants. Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, for instance, will be charged under Article 318, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, for sabotage. Mr. Gvarakidze stated that former President Saakashvili is charged under Article 317, for "calling for the violent change of the constitutional order of Georgia or the overthrow of the state government." Meanwhile, Zurab Girchi Japaridze and Giorgi Vashadze face charges related to sabotage and "assistance to a foreign country in hostile activities."
The Prosecutor's Office is requesting the court to impose bail as a preventive measure for Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, while pre-trial hearings will be scheduled for the remaining accused.
The announcement noted that following the start of hostilities in Ukraine, the Georgian government adopted a policy of not imposing economic sanctions against the aggressor country to avoid a potential military conflict. It contends that in response, certain opposition leaders "acted to the detriment of Georgia's state interests" by seeking to create a pretext for international sanctions. They allegedly did this by providing representatives of foreign states with information regarding oil imports and "real or fabricated" defense sector situations, as well as spreading what the office claims was "false information."
