A hearing has been scheduled at the Tbilisi City Court in the criminal case against Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Builder party, in connection with the so-called “sabotage” case. The court is expected to consider the application of a preventive measure against Vashadze.
The charges against him include alleged sabotage and aiding and abetting a foreign country in hostile activities against Georgia. The investigation into Vashadze was launched under Article 318 (Part 1), which envisages two to four years’ imprisonment, and Article 319 of the Criminal Code, which carries a possible sentence of seven to fifteen years.
The case is part of a broader criminal investigation initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office on November 6, 2025, targeting several opposition figures. Among those named in the proceedings are former President Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as opposition leaders Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze.
The upcoming court hearing follows Vashadze’s recent release from custody. He left prison on January 23 after completing a seven-month sentence imposed in a separate case related to his refusal to cooperate with a temporary parliamentary investigative commission. That conviction was not connected to the current sabotage charges, but stemmed from his failure to appear before the commission, for which he was previously sentenced to imprisonment.
Vashadze’s release marked the expiration of his sentence rather than an acquittal, and the new court proceedings mean he now faces the possibility of fresh restrictive measures as the investigation into the sabotage case continues.
Image source: Formula
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