Opposition leaders dismiss ‘sabotage case’ as politically motivated

Proceedings are underway at the Tbilisi City Court in the so-called sabotage case - the attempted overthrow of the government in October - involving several opposition politicians, who have rejected the charges as unfounded and politically motivated.

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of Strategy Agmashenebeli, said the case “has no substance” and “bears no connection to law or justice.”

“This case has nothing to do with law, fairness, or justice,” Vashadze told reporters. “The only reason behind it is that we are fighting for the country’s well-being. That is the price imposed on us.”

He added that he is not directly mentioned in the case materials and questioned the basis of the accusations. “What exactly is considered my crime? That I speak out against injustice? That we refuse to remain silent? They are treating our political stance as a criminal offense,” he said.

Separately, Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, argued that the 45 volumes of case materials contained no credible evidence.

“There is no evidence in these 45 volumes,” Japaridze said. “The files include various unrelated documents - personal data, bank statements, search protocols - without any clear link to the charges.”

Japaridze further added his name appeared 12 times in the case file, all in police testimonies claiming he was present on Rustaveli Avenue during protests in November and December. He also noted that some references concerned public comments he made to journalists regarding sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his associates.