Opposition figure Targamadze sentenced to prison for defying parliamentary commission

A Georgian court has sentenced an opposition politician and former official under the United National Movement government, Givi Targamadze, to seven months in prison for failing to appear before a temporary parliamentary investigative commission probing alleged crimes under the UNM between 2003-2012.

Judge Nino Galustashvili announced the verdict in Tbilisi on Friday, also ruling that Targamadze was barred from holding public office for the next two years. The former MP and member of the opposition did not attend the trial. As a precautionary measure, the court had previously imposed a bail of 10,000 GEL on him in April, which he paid within the deadline.

Targamadze is the latest in a series of high-profile opposition figures convicted on similar charges in recent days. On 24 June, Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party, received a seven-month prison sentence. A day earlier, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of Strong Georgia were each sentenced to eight months behind bars. Zurab Girchi Japaridze, a key figure in the Coalition for Change, also received an eight-month sentence.

All were found guilty of refusing to appear before the parliamentary commission and have been banned from holding public office for two years.