The Georgian Prosecutor's Office has formally charged Elena Khoshtaria

The charge of damaging someone else's property, brought against one of the leaders of the "Coalition for Change" Elene Khoshtaria, carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The opposition leader herself called the trial a "farce" and waived her right to defense, considering the legal battle with the authorities pointless.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on September 14, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported a criminal case against the leader of the "Droa" party, one of the leaders of the "Coalition for Change" Elene Khoshtaria for damaging Kakha Kaladze's election banner. On September 15, Khoshtaria was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The investigation is being conducted under Article 187 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (damage or destruction of property), which provides for a real prison term.

The Georgian Prosecutor's Office today announced the official charges brought against Elena Khoshtaria, announcing a court hearing on her preventive measure. According to the statement of the department, Khoshtaria damaged not one, but three election banners installed on the building of the Georgian Dream election headquarters. 

The damage was estimated at 570 lari (about 210 US dollars). Part 1 of Article 187 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which Khoshtaria is charged with, provides for “significant damage” and assumes a prison sentence of one to five years, Interpressnews notes.

Koshtaria’s lawyers have not yet found out what kind of preventive measure the prosecutor’s office is insisting on for her. The politician herself said that she is waiving her right to defense.

“Elene considers all this a farce and, based on the fact that the role of an ordinary citizen who is held hostage is extremely insignificant in this performance, does not want to engage in any legal procedures or discuss legal cases with the regime. Therefore, she also waives her right to defense. I remain her lawyer in general, but I will no longer defend her interests in this case. Probably, a more detailed statement will be released on her behalf later, but, as I have already noted, she does not want even the slightest part of public attention or her own time to be wasted on this farce,” Tbilisi_life quotes Shota Tutberidze’s lawyer as saying.

Lawyer Eka Beselia, who visited Khoshtaria in the detention center today, reported that the politician did not complain of violence or disrespect. "She is, as usual, in a cheerful mood and remains hopeful. She has no complaints about the conditions of detention, they are treating her normally," Beselia said.

Elene Khoshtaria has become the ninth Georgian oppositionist arrested in the last six months on criminal charges, JAMnews notes. All four leaders of Georgia's Coalition for Change, including Khoshtaria, are now in prison: three others (Akhali party co-chairs Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia and Girchi - More Freedom party leader Zurab Japaridze) were previously sentenced to prison for failing to appear when summoned by a temporary investigative commission set up by Georgian Dream to look into alleged crimes by the previous government.

The Coalition for Change, which was announced in August 2024, showed a notable result in the October parliamentary elections, taking second place. It received 11.03% of the vote, which brought the bloc 19 mandates. The ruling Georgian Dream party received the largest number of mandates (89). “Unity – National Movement” received 16 mandates, “Strong Georgia” – 14, “For Georgia” – 12. Already on October 27, 2024, the “Coalition for Change” refused the mandates, declaring the elections illegitimate.

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