Tbilisi Court orders detention of ex-Defence Minister Okruashvili

Tbilisi City Court has ordered the pretrial detention of former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, replacing the previously imposed bail of 20,000 GEL. Okruashvili was taken into custody immediately following the ruling during a court session on May 14.

Judge Nino Tarashvili upheld the prosecution’s motion to replace the bail with detention, citing Okruashvili’s refusal to comply with conditions tied to the investigation. Okruashvili had been charged under Article 349 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which penalizes failure to comply with requests from a parliamentary investigative commission—a charge punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison.

The case stems from Okruashvili’s refusal to testify before a temporary investigative commission formed by the ruling Georgian Dream party to examine alleged abuses during the previous United National Movement (UNM)-led government. The court had previously banned him from leaving the country and gave him a 30-day deadline to pay the bail, which expired on May 8.

Speaking in court, Okruashvili said he deliberately chose not to pay the bail: “I didn’t even wear my metal cross today. I came prepared, exactly like someone going to prison. Honestly, I’m tired.”

Other prominent opposition figures have also been charged in connection with this case, including Nika Melia, Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Givi Targamadze, Zurab Japaridze, Giorgi Vashadze, and Nika Gvaramia, with bail amounts ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 GEL.

The investigative commission was created on February 5 by the ruling party, which claims that a "collective UNM" bloc continues to challenge the legitimacy of Georgia’s current government.