Gvaramia Calls Judge's Delay a Victory as Case Moves to Trial
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, has described a recent court hearing in his case as a procedural win, even though the judge did not rule in his favor. After the session, Gvaramia emphasized that the judge's choice to deliberate at length rather than issue an immediate decision was a significant development.
"What the judge did - taking an hour instead of a minute, is already a benefit and a result for us," Gvaramia said. "Had he issued a ruling in favor of my motion, it would have meant that all prior decisions had to be annulled, including the rulings in the cases of Nika Melia and Zurab Japaridze."
The court session focused on Gvaramia's motion challenging the criminal charges brought against him under Article 349 of the Criminal Code. He is accused of failing to comply with a request from Parliament's Temporary Investigative Commission, an offense punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, along with possible disqualification from public office or professional activity for up to three years. Gvaramia has been assigned bail of 30,000 GEL, which he has publicly stated he will not pay.
His defense team argued that the alleged offense is administrative, not criminal, and is also addressed under Article 173 of the Administrative Offenses Code. They claim that in cases where the same act is defined under both codes, the one with the lighter penalty must apply.
"There are two norms that define the exact same action under the exact same title but with different sanctions," Gvaramia said in court. "In any such case, criminal proceedings must be halted, and if anything proceeds, it should do so under administrative procedures."
He also criticized the Temporary Investigative Commission, chaired by Tea Tsulukiani, for bypassing the administrative process and initiating criminal prosecution. "The authority to impose an administrative sanction in this case lies with the commission itself and its chairperson, Tea Tsulukiani, who, as a known enforcer, decided to bypass everything and go straight to criminal prosecution," he stated.
Although the judge did not grant the motion, Gvaramia said the outcome showed hesitation that works in his favor. "We had no illusions about that outcome. But we must understand what the judge really said. He said, I cannot make this decision - let another judge decide it."
He ended his statement with a political message aimed at the ruling party. "I don't know who he'll hand it over to, but I can tell you directly, before anyone gets the chance to pass it on, Georgian Dream will be finished, and we are completely confident in that."
The case will now proceed to a full trial, where a different judge will consider its merits.
