Opposition: Constitutional Court ruling in party ban case is predetermined

A decision in the case seeking to ban five opposition parties has already been made, Giga Lemonjava, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, has claimed, accusing the authorities of using the proceedings to undermine Georgia’s democracy, European future, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Speaking to journalists as hearings resumed at the Constitutional Court, Lemonjava said the court would simply reproduce the constitutional lawsuit filed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and present it as its judgment.

He said the opposition’s participation in the hearings was intended to expose what he described as the government's political objectives and inform the public about the implications of the case.

Lemonjava also said the opposition intended to preserve opportunities for pursuing legal action through international mechanisms. He added that his coalition would continue participating in the proceedings for as long as the hearings remained open to the public.

Referring to the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Lemonjava accused the authorities of undermining Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty by blaming Georgia for starting the war.

The Constitutional Court is considering a lawsuit filed by 88 Georgian Dream MPs seeking to ban five opposition political groups: Unity - National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia - Lelo, the Federalist Party and Gakharia for Georgia.

The ruling party argues that the groups' activities are unconstitutional, while opposition representatives reject the allegations and have criticised the proceedings as politically motivated.