Overview
- Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze announced new cases alleging sabotage, “support of foreign forces,” and conspiracy to overthrow the government, with the most serious count carrying up to 15 years in prison.
- Prosecutors said the politicians shared energy and defense information with Western governments that was then used to sanction Georgian officials.
- Six of the eight people charged had already been detained in the summer after refusing to testify before a parliamentary commission.
- Mikheil Saakashvili has been imprisoned since 2021 for abuse of office, rejects the accusations as politically motivated, and is serving a term expected to run until 2034.
- Opposition groups condemn the prosecutions as a push toward a Russian-style dictatorship, as the ruling party pursues bans on major rivals and keeps closer ties with Moscow.