Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, a leader of the “Coalition for Change,” has been found guilty of failing to comply with a request from the Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission.
Judge Jvebe Nachkebia sentenced him to seven months in prison and barred him from holding public office for two years. Japaridze, who did not attend the sentencing hearing, had also missed a previous session scheduled for his final statement.
He becomes the first opposition politician convicted for defying a Parliamentary Investigative Commission’s request. Japaridze had been summoned to testify but failed to appear, leading to charges under Article 349 of Georgia’s Criminal Code. The offense is punishable by a fine, up to one year of imprisonment, and/or disqualification from public or professional roles for up to three years.
Previously, the court had set a 20,000 GEL bail, which Japaridze refused to pay. He was subsequently arrested in the courtroom on May 22.
