Opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia summoned again by controversial Parliamentary Investigative Commission

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party For Georgia and former Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Economy Minister under the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, has been summoned once again to appear before a temporary parliamentary investigative commission. The commission, formed by the ruling party on February 5, continues to probe issues related to previous government and is seen by critics as a tool of political persecution.

The commission is chaired by Tea Tsulukiani, a senior figure in Georgian Dream and former Deputy Prime Minister during Gakharia's tenure as PM.

"I sincerely hope Mr. Gakharia will attend the additional questioning session, so we can continue our discussion about Chorchana, Tsagvli, and other villages, where he previously told us that not a single centimeter of territory was lost to the central government due to the placement of a checkpoint," Tsulukiani said during the session.

She also noted that Gakharia will be questioned on June 23 about his "international engagements while in opposition."

Several opposition leaders—including Irakli Okruashvili, Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia, and Nika Gvaramia—have been sentenced to pretrial detention for failing to appear before the commission, following a request by the Prosecutor’s Office approved by the Tbilisi City Court.

Giorgi Gakharia is one of the few opposition figures who has complied with the summons. He has already been questioned about his transition to the opposition and the controversial establishment of a government checkpoint in Chorchana, located on Georgia-controlled territory near the occupation line with breakaway South Ossetia.