Lawyer for Gia Baramidze calls detention politically motivated, says prosecution lacks evidence

The lawyer for Georgian opposition figure Gia Baramidze has criticised a Tbilisi court’s decision to place the former interior and defence minister in two months of pretrial detention, calling the case politically motivated and arguing that prosecutors have failed to present evidence of a criminal offence.

Baramidze, a senior member of the opposition United National Movement, was detained on September 11 and charged with treason in the form of sabotage, an offence carrying a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

Speaking after the court hearing, Baramidze’s lawyer Beka Basilaia alleged that decisions in politically sensitive cases were being made on the basis of political instructions rather than the requirements of Georgia’s Criminal Code.

“We had no different expectation,” Basilaia said. “There can be no rational justification for claiming that Gia Baramidze committed a crime.”

He accused the court of acting on instructions from Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Basilaia said the defence had told Judge Eka Barbakhadze from the outset that she was carrying out a political order.

“At the beginning of the hearing she objected when we told her she was acting on instructions, but after the hearing, when we told her that she had carried out the assignment exactly as expected, she effectively confirmed it,” he claimed.

According to Basilaia, the judge said she did not consider Baramidze a flight risk but referred to two other grounds for detention without sufficiently explaining the basis for those concerns.

“The judge explained nothing,” he said. “She said there was no risk that he would abscond, but that she saw two other risks. She did not explain what those risks were based on.”

Basilaia also accused prosecutors of relying on political narratives rather than evidence.

“The prosecution had only propaganda narratives. It had neither arguments nor evidence,” he said.

He questioned several elements of the prosecution’s case, including the allegation that Baramidze’s remarks had endangered Georgia’s international reputation.

“They say that Georgia’s international image was put at risk. Is that something for the prosecutor to assess? Did they ask the Foreign Ministry?” Basilaia said.

He also criticised an allegation that Baramidze’s comments had weakened patriotic morale within the armed forces, describing the claim as “absurd.”

Basilaia said witness statements included in the case showed that some of those questioned already held negative views of Baramidze.

He further claimed that the case was intended to politically discredit the opposition figure.

“This issue was picked up for propaganda purposes and is now being turned against us,” Basilaia said. “Gia has been politically active, and his political presence was clearly uncomfortable for them.”

Tbilisi City Court earlier ordered Baramidze to remain in pretrial detention for two months while the criminal proceedings continue.