One of the founders and leaders of Lelo opposition party, Mamuka Khazaradze, has declared that he will not attend a parliamentary investigative commission session initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party to investigate alleged crimes under the previous United National Movement Government between 2003-2012.
The commission, created earlier this year and led by the GD MP Thea Tsulukiani, has summoned Khazaradze and his associate, Badri Japaridze, to its Tuesday session, warning that failure to comply could have legal consequences.
Khazaradze dismissed the commission as a politically motivated effort, saying that he did not recognize what he called an “illegitimate parliament.”
He accused the ruling party of attempting to conduct a smear campaign against him, claiming that for the past five years, authorities had sought to discredit him through legal and political means.
“Today, they are waiting for me at the commission investigating the illegitimate parliament. I also received an invitation – to ‘Signal’. Of course, I am not going to come and participate in this circus! First, summon Bidzina [Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the GD], as the main financier of the United National Movement – a person who has been financing the regime even after November 7 [2007, when the UNM dispersed a peaceful opposition rally],” Khazaradze said.
He also called for the interrogation of judges and prosecutors whom he accused of past and present human rights violations, alleging they had aligned themselves with the ruling party.
The investigative commission was established by the Georgian Dream-led parliament to examine alleged political abuses between 2003 and 2012. The upcoming session’s agenda includes reviewing a case concerning alleged pressure on businessman Djemal Leonidze, the owner of LLC Magnat.
A statement from the commission confirmed the attendance request for Leonidze, his lawyer Roin Migriauli, as well as Khazaradze and Japaridze.
Georgian Dream officials have reminded those summoned that participation in the commission’s hearings was mandatory. Under Georgian law, failure to comply with a lawful request from a Temporary Investigative Commission can result in fines, imprisonment for up to one year, or a ban on holding public office for up to three years.
Khazaradze, however, dismissed the investigation as a “propaganda commission” and reiterated his belief that the current government prioritized political maneuvering over addressing the country’s economic difficulties. He further noted that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had accepted his lawsuit regarding alleged defamation by the ruling party.
