Opposition leader Elisashvili alleges political persecution as trial continues in Tbilisi

Georgian opposition leader Aleko Elisashvili has claimed the criminal case against him was a politically motivated provocation, as his trial continues at Tbilisi City Court.

Elisashvili, a leading figure in the Strong Georgia coalition, faces up to three years in prison after being charged with assaulting Iranian national Ali Babaev on alleged political grounds. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he described the process as “a staged, fabricated case from start to finish.”

“They changed the judge halfway through - one worse than the other - and brought in a so-called golden witness, an Iranian who doesn’t speak a word of Georgian, yet accuses me of political persecution,” Elisashvili said. “I have a three-year sentence hanging over me - let’s see what happens.”

The charge, filed under Article 156 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, relates to degrading treatment based on political affiliation. Elisashvili denies the allegations and says only two of the 20 witnesses have been questioned so far.