Georgian opposition leader Vashadze granted bail in sabotage case, barred from leaving country

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the opposition party Strategy Aghmashenebeli, has been granted ₾30,000 ($11,155) bail and barred from leaving the country as he faces charges of alleged sabotage and assistance to hostile foreign activity.

Under the court’s ruling, Vashadze is required to surrender his passport and ID documents to investigative authorities and is prohibited from crossing the state border while the investigation is ongoing. Vashadze has said he will pay the bail amount.

The politician has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, stating that there is no evidence against him in the case.

Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office launched criminal proceedings last November against several opposition figures, including former president Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.

Vashadze had previously been sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment for failing to comply with a request from a parliamentary temporary investigative commission. He was released from prison on January 23.