Opposition leader Zurab Japaridze arrested in court

Tbilisi City Court Judge Irakli Shvangiradze ordered the arrest of Zurab Japaridze, leader of the More Freedom - Girchi party and a key figure in the Coalition for Change, replacing his bail with pre-trial detention during a hearing on May 22. Japaridze was detained immediately in the courtroom.

The judge upheld the Prosecutor’s Office’s request to revoke the previously imposed 20,000 GEL bail, citing Japaridze’s refusal to comply with court orders and a potential risk of reoffending or fleeing. The charges stem from his refusal to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission, a body formed to examine alleged abuses under the previous United National Movement government.

Japaridze, who had firmly refused to pay the bail imposed on April 16 by Judge Nana Shamatava, maintained that participating in what he considers a politically motivated process would be a betrayal of principle. “If everyone refused to take part in this lie, the regime would collapse,” he said before the hearing.

“I am not a flight risk, nor do I pose any threat to witnesses,” Japaridze argued during the session. “I’ve been traveling in and out of the country freely, attending court hearings of politically persecuted individuals almost daily. There’s no rational reason I should be jailed.”

The courtroom was surrounded by heavy police presence, with access to the courthouse heavily restricted. Only a small number of people were allowed inside due to alleged space limitations in the courtroom. Media cameras were banned from the building’s foyer for the first time, with the court citing the need to prevent disruptions to proceedings.

Observers from the Swedish and Czech embassies, along with Amnesty International, attended the hearing. However, the judge denied a request from Japaridze’s defense team to allow representatives from the US and German embassies to attend, claiming that transparency was already ensured through media and observer presence.

Tensions rose throughout the hearing. Multiple defense motions—including requests to change the courtroom, question senior police officials about excessive security measures, and summon the head of the investigative commission, Tea Tsulukiani—were rejected. Japaridze’s lawyers eventually walked out in protest, saying the court had dismissed every motion they submitted. Japaridze followed suit and requested a new defense attorney.

After Judge Shvangiradze refused the request, former judge Keti Chomakhashvili volunteered to represent Japaridze but later withdrew, citing lack of access to case materials and accusing the court of violating due process. “You’ve destroyed every right that could possibly be violated today,” she told the judge.

Japaridze’s case is the latest in a series of prosecutions tied to the controversial investigative commission led by Tea Tsulukiani, a senior figure in the ruling Georgian Dream party. The commission was established on February 5 to investigate alleged abuses under the former government.

Other opposition politicians have faced similar measures for defying the commission, including former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who was jailed after refusing to pay bail. Several others—Nika Melia, Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Givi Targamadze, Giorgi Vashadze, and Nika Gvaramia—have been charged and granted bail ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 GEL.

Nika Melia’s bail is due by May 29, and Nika Gvaramia’s by June 7. Most others have complied with the court’s orders, but the mounting number of prosecutions has drawn growing criticism from opposition parties and international observers.