Trial of opposition leader Gvaramia postponed

The trial of Georgian opposition leader Nika Gvaramia has been postponed after he failed to appear in court on Monday.

Gvaramia, a leading figure in the Coalition for Change, was due to face charges relating to his refusal to appear before a parliamentary temporary investigative commission probing alleged crimes under the previous United National Movement government. The court has rescheduled the hearing for 13 June at 11:00 local time.

The prosecution alleges that Gvaramia defied legal obligations by ignoring a summons from the parliamentary commission. A bail of 30,000 Georgian lari had been set, due to expire on 7 June.

Gvaramia has publicly stated that he does not intend to pay the bail, which means he may face imprisonment.