**Georgian Court Sends Opposition Leader to Prison**
A Tbilisi City Court Judge has sentenced Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, to seven months in prison for refusing to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission. This comes on top of similar sentences handed down to three other opposition leaders earlier this week.
**Opposition Leaders Jailed**
Vashadze joins Zurab Japaridze of Girchi–More Freedom, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of Lelo in prison for refusing to cooperate with the commission. All four were also stripped of their right to hold office for two years.
**Background on the Commission**
The Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative commission is tasked with probing alleged crimes committed by officials from the United National Movement (UNM). The opposition considers this commission and the GD parliament illegitimate, as they were formed after disputed October 2024 elections.
**Opposition Figures Refuse to Comply**
Opposition figures have refused to comply with the GD commission’s summonses, viewing the cases as politically motivated. This has led to a number of high-profile arrests, including Vashadze’s imprisonment. The law allows for fines or prison sentences in such cases, but so far, courts have only issued prison sentences.
**Reaction from the EU**
Reacting to the prison sentences, MEP Rasa Juknevičienė wrote on X, “Does anyone in the EU still doubt that Georgian Dream has chosen the path of dictatorship?” She urged the EU Council to impose sanctions against the regime.
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