Irakli Kupradze: We have witnessed a completely politicized process over the past three days – when the country’s prime minister declares that the days of opposition parties are numbered, it means the decision has already been made

Over the past three days, we have witnessed a completely politicized process lacking any legal basis and having nothing to do with justice. When the country’s prime minister declares that the days of opposition parties are numbered, it means one thing: the decision has already been made, said Irakli Kupradze, secretary-general of Lelo – Strong Georgia, commenting on the Constitutional Court proceedings concerning the lawsuit seeking to ban opposition parties.

According to Kupradze, over the three days of hearings, they were unable even to establish exactly what allegations had been brought against Lelo – Strong Georgia.

“We heard completely unjustified arguments from the Constitutional Court’s Plenum. But what else could we expect when the country’s prime minister declares that the days of opposition parties are numbered? This answers many questions and means one thing: the decision has already been made.

“For three days, we have been asking a simple question: what specific allegations have been brought against Strong Georgia – Lelo? We have received no answer!

“This is an absurdity that makes no chronological sense. We are being forced to discuss events from 2007–2009, even though the political movement Lelo was established in late 2019. The sheer scale of this absurdity was confirmed by one of the Plenum’s own judges.

“The court rejected every single motion we submitted. It refused to request an advisory opinion from the European Court, refused to involve experts from the Venice Commission, and refused to consider our lawsuit from last year challenging the constitutionality of these proceedings. This is nothing other than a direct continuation of the government’s isolationist policy by the court.

“Even before the hearings began, the replacement of two judges and the rushing of the proceedings ultimately exposed the demands and interests of the ‘Non-Georgian Dream’ to deprive one million Georgian citizens of their right to choose.

“Today, we are witnessing our state being sacrificed to one person’s autocratic ambitions to ensure that the country has no free individuals, no free speech, no civil society and no pro-Western opposition.

“I want to make this absolutely clear: regardless of the ruling issued by the Constitutional Court, Strong Georgia – Lelo will not stop fighting!

“We will do everything possible to establish mechanisms that ensure no Georgian citizen is left without political representation or the right to choose.

“Today, we are joining Saturday’s march against one-party rule and authoritarianism!

“The struggle continues for the freedom of Georgia and every one of its citizens!” Kupradze said.