The leader of the “Coalition for Change,” Nika Gvaramia, has been released from prison after serving an eight-month sentence. The opposition politician left Rustavi Penitentiary Facility No. 12 on February 12.
Gvaramia was sentenced on July 1, 2025, for failing to appear before a temporary investigative commission of the Parliament of Georgia. He was charged under Article 349 of the Criminal Code, which concerns failure to comply with a request from a parliamentary investigative commission.
As a preventive measure, the court had ordered Gvaramia to pay bail of 30,000 GEL. However, he did not pay the amount within the deadline established by law, after which the bail was replaced with imprisonment. He did not attend the court hearing and voluntarily presented himself at Rustavi prison.
Speaking to journalists following his release, Gvaramia said the country would not be the same after the arrests of individuals he described as fighting “out of love for their homeland,” and pledged to work toward securing their release.
He said he had mixed emotions upon leaving prison, expressing happiness at reuniting with his family while also feeling uneasy that many people remain behind bars.
Gvaramia stated that individuals are still imprisoned in facilities in Rustavi, Gldani, and the women’s penitentiary, adding that this sense of unease strengthens his determination to fight for their release. According to him, the country is deprived of the strength, courage, and energy of those detained, which he said makes achieving political goals more difficult.
He also referred to several individuals by name, including members of his party and other detainees, claiming that some had faced mistreatment and emphasizing that both young and older people remain imprisoned for what he described as their struggle for the country.
“This country can never be the same as it was before,” Gvaramia said, stressing that securing the release of those detained would be a priority in the near future.
Image source: sakartvelosambebi.ge
