Lawyer challenges restrictions on publishing letters from detained opposition leader Japaridze

The lawyer representing detained opposition leader Zurab Japaridze has raised concerns over restrictions preventing the publication of his client's letters from prison.

Irakli Chomakhashvili, Japaridze's legal counsel, said on Friday that he was unable to share any correspondence from Japaridze due to current legal and institutional constraints.

"Their position is that if Zura writes letters, I have no way to publish them. The only thing I can do is in my handwriting, and of course, the conversation between me and Zura is confidential. The writings are also confidential - no one has the right to know their content," Chomakhashvili said. "Of course, this also depends on which penitentiary institution it is, but I wonder why I cannot publish the letter written by Zura publicly."

Japaridze, leader of the Girchi – More Freedom party and a leading figure in the Coalition for Change, was placed in pre-trial detention on 22 May after refusing to appear before a parliamentary commission investigating alleged misconduct during the administration of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. He and other opposition leaders have criticized the inquiry as politically motivated by the ruling Georgian Dream party.