Political tsunami in Georgia after Ugulava's conviction

Georgian Supreme Court sentenced the Leader of European Georgia opposition party and ex-Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava for three years and two months in prison for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from Tbilisi Municipal Development fund while in office.

Gigi Ugulava was first imprisoned for a similar offense in September 2015, for four-and-a-half years, but was freed in January 2017 after his sentence was reduced.

The country's Supreme Court announced the sentence at a closed hearing. Commenting on the case, the 44-year-old opposition leader pointed to the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The conviction was "politically motivated" and a "personal decision" of Ivanishvili, Ugulava told journalists.

US Congressman Adam Kinzinger has responded to the arrest of Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of the opposition in Georgia.

This was Ugulava's second conviction on similar charges, in a case the opposition says is politically motivated.

A number of criminal cases have been opened against leaders of the opposition after mass protests against tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili's ruling Georgian Dream party and its government.

The protests that began in the summer of 2019 have resulted in several arrests.

Dozens of former officials have been arrested on abuse-of-power and corruption charges since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012 after defeating then-President Mikheil Saakashvili's party in an election.

Ugulava, mayor of the capital from 2005-2013, was first sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison in September 2015 for similar offenses but was freed in January 2017 after a court reduced his sentence.

In 2018, Ugulava was sentenced again to 15 months in prison in the same case, but his sentence was considered to have been served.

The Supreme Court's February 10 ruling regards a new case of alleged misspending of funds, and the time he has already served will not count against it.

"This is a shameful decision made by the Ivanishvili regime," Tina Bokuchava, a leader of the opposition United National Movement, told reporters.

The U.S. Embassy is disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader last night has put the dialogue at risk, the US Embassy to Georgia said in a statement on Tuesday.

The embassy calls on all sides to remain committed to the political dialogue

“The U.S. Embassy supports the political dialogue between Georgia’s governing party and opposition representatives aimed at reaching an agreement on an election system that best serves the Georgian people. The U.S. Embassy is disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader last night has put the dialogue at risk.

An environment conducive to the successful continuation of the dialogue requires an independent, transparent judicial system free of political influence. We call on all sides to remain committed to the political dialogue, as well as further refinements to the electoral code, as the best way to create the conditions for free and fair elections,” the statement reads.

Linas Linkevicius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, has commented on the arrest of Gigi Ugulava, leader of the European Georgia party. “Concerned by the court decision to sentence G. Ugulava, one of the leaders of European Georgia. The judiciary shouldn’t be used to persecute the opposition, which is a must for democratic societies. Upcoming parliamentary elections will be a litmus test for democracy in Georgia,” Linas Linkevicius has tweeted.

When negotiations are underway, when the US ambassador was holding introductory meetings at her residence, the arrest of Gigi Ugulava on the same day was a slap in the face of the international community and they do not forgive such things, Roman Gotsiridze, chairman of the United National Movement faction, said while commenting on the arrest of Gigi Ugulava.

He said nobody doubts that Georgia is on the path to authoritarianism.

“There will be the hardest international response. No one doubts that Georgia is on the path to authoritarianism. Bidzina Ivanishvili disgraced everyone, including those puppets, who visited Congress,” Roman Gotsiridze said. According to him, people, who serve as state officials, including the Parliament Speaker, the Tbilisi Mayor, the Prime Minister, are Ivanishvili’s pawns, who will be thrown down as “used gloves.” “When negotiations are underway, when the US ambassador was holding introductory meetings at her residence, the arrest of Gigi Ugulava on the same day was a slap in the face of the international community and they do not forgive such things. Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream will be punished, they will be punished and cruelly defeated through elections,” MP Roman Gotsiridze said. Bidzina Ivanishvili will be punished and the Georgian Dream, punished through elections, will be cruelly defeated. And if they try to falsify the elections, it will end very badly, but let's remember what happened everywhere, including in Georgia and what happened to Aslan Abashidze, ”Roman Gotsiridze said.

I would like to tell the Georgian Dream: Gigi Ugulava, who is in prison, will be much more dangerous than Gigi Ugulava, who is out of prison, Davit Bakradze, leader of European Georgia party, told reporters while commenting on Gigi Ugulava's arrest.

As Bakradze pointed out, the Georgian Dream will lead not only itself to a full international isolation, will also create a threat to isolate the country from the West.

“It was clear that Gigi Ugulava was a political target. But the manner in which he was arrested and the reason for his arrest yesterday make it undoubtable that Gigi Ugulava is a political prisoner and there is Bidzina Ivanishvili's interest behind Gigi Ugulava's detention. Therefore, political imprisonment of Gigi Ugulava will soon be recognized not only by our society but also by our foreign friends and its signs already exist. I would like to tell the Georgian Dream that Gigi Ugulava, who is in prison, will be much more dangerous than Gigi Ugulava, who is out of prison. There will be a very severe reaction, the first signs have already appeared, ”Bakradze said.

According to him, the Parliament Speaker and the Foreign Ministry of Georgia, who have visited the US, went “door-to-door in Washington and gave congressmen assurances that the opposition is not being persecuted in this country and that they are engaged in political dialogue, the whole process will be collapsed above the head of the Georgian Dream party and we should expect acute reactions from deceived congressmen, senators and MEPs,” Davit Bakradze said. Ivanishvili's decision is the decision of a weak politician and person, one of the leaders of the European Georgia party Sergi Kapanadze said while commenting on the arrest of Gigi Ugulava. He said it was senseless to continue talks with the authorities. “Yesterday’s decision by Ivanishvili, when he arrested Gigi Ugulava, is a weak politician's decision. He thinks that he weakened the opposition by this step, but this is not so. We do not see any sense in continuing to negotiate with the authorities on the electoral system, since it is impossible to talk with the opponent, who makes such steps. So, these negotiations have been suspended and we will now move to a new action strategy. Ultimately, the main task of this new strategy will be to destroy the government with the current model of elections. Let us not forget that the disadvantage of this model is that the winning party receives the absolute majority, the opposition will win and gain the absolute majority, ”Kapanadze said. As for the opposition's political plans, Kapanadze said that the opposition would take all the planned steps. "The opposition will continue its plans, including picketing and protest rallies. Nothing has changed in our future plans. The arrest of Gigi, and other opposition leaders are likely to be arrested in coming weeks, changes nothing. We continue our usual uncompromising resistance against Ivanishvili. We have started coordination related to majoritarian candidates and now this plan has no alternative, so all opposition parties, which want to defeat Ivanishvili, will have to agree on united candidates against the government, ”Kapanadze said.

Jim Risch, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has responded to the arrest of Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of the Georgian opposition. “I'm disappointed Georgia has chosen to increase its politically motivated abuse of opposition politicians. As I told the Georgian foreign minister last week, the collapse of judicial independence & persecution of the opposition is unacceptable behavior,” Jim Risch has tweeted.  

Georgia's third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has responded to the arrest of Gigi Ugulava, leader of the European Georgia party, saying that Vladimir Putin has far fewer political prisoners in Russia than Ivanishvili has in Georgia. “First of all, I would like to express my admiration for Gigi Ugulava's courage. I talked to him over the phone and I want to say that he really deserves a lot of respect, he was so proud and so full of dignity,” Saakashvili said. According to him, Gigi Ugulava was arrested through a “gross violation of the law” and noted that Ugulava’s arrest was “an expression of extreme weakness” of Bidzina Ivanishvili. “This is Ivanishvili's last agony and no one should think that he is powerful. He is not strong, he is the weakest one! I want to tell you that Vladimir Putin (despite my attitude) has far fewer political prisoners in Russia than Ivanishvili already has in Georgia, "Saakashvili said adding that Ivanishvili is already defeated.

“People are no longer afraid of his arrests. People go to jail with their heads held high, like Gigi did it. Very soon, Matrosov [prison] will turn into the museum of political prisoners, of those political prisoner, who were building the Georgian state and have been held accountable for that,” Mikheil Saakashvili posted on Facebook.