TBILISI, November 6. /TASS/. Georgia’s office of the prosecutor general has opened a criminal case on sabotage and calls to overthrow the government against former President Mikhail Saakashvili and several opposition leaders, Prosecutor General Georgy Gvarakidze said at a press briefing.

"For the crimes committed against the state, namely, sabotage, aid to a foreign country in hostile activities, financing activities against the constitutional order and the foundations of national security and for calling to topple by force the constitutional order or state power, criminal proceedings have been opened with regard to Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgy Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nikanor Melia, Zurab Girchi Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze," the official said.

The prosecutor general noted that following the onset of combat in Ukraine, the Georgian authorities decided not to introduce sanctions against Russia to preserve peace in the country. At the same time, oppositionists Khoshtaria, Japaridze and Vashadze began to provide information to representatives from a foreign country about the import of petroleum products to Georgia as well as about the alleged use of the country’s airspace to deliver Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia. As a result, international sanctions were imposed on approximately 300 Georgian citizens, including state officials.

Additionally, according to the prosecutor general’s office, following the October 2024 parliamentary elections which the opposition lost, Japaridze, Vashadze, Khoshtaria, Gvaramia, Melia, Khazaradze and Japaridze began to stage protest rallies to radicalize the situation. They called for a revolution and the overthrow of the authorities. As for Saakashvili, he used social media to urge the population to commit illegal acts and block government buildings.

Saakashvili will be charged under the article of the Criminal Code on calling to change the constitutional order by force or topple the authorities, Japaridze and Vashadze - under articles on sabotage and abetting a foreign country in hostile activities, Khoshtaria - under articles on sabotage and collecting material funds for it as well as on abetting a foreign country in hostile activities, Gvaramia, Melia, Khazaradze and Japaridze - with committing sabotage.

Gvarakidze noted that for Khazaradze and Japaridze, the prosecutor general’s office will demand bail. Other members of the opposition have been incarcerated for the last couple of months. Saakashvili is currently serving time on several counts.