Zurabishvili spoke at a rally in Tbilisi

Former Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili once again spoke at a protest rally in Tbilisi and called on the opposition to unite, according to a RIA Novosti correspondent.

On Sunday, opposition parties and their supporters are holding a protest rally in the Georgian capital. Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building, where protesters gathered, is still blocked. At the same time, the rally is currently small in number. Its participants are demanding the release of detained activists and opposition party leaders. Zurabishvili has repeatedly spoken at rallies in support of the opposition.

“I will be where there is unity. If you ask me what my ambitions are, I have only one goal - to save the country together... They (the authorities - ed.) will not be able to do anything if we are united,” Zurabishvili said.

Protests are taking place in Georgia demanding new parliamentary elections. They began after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on November 28, 2024, the decision to suspend consideration of the issue of starting negotiations on the country's membership in the European Union until 2028.

In June, leaders of Georgian opposition parties were detained on charges of failing to appear at a meeting of the commission investigating crimes committed during the rule of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Opposition figures Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, Zurab-Girchi Japaridze, Givi Targamadze, Giorgi Vashadze, and former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili were arrested for seven and eight months.

A temporary parliamentary investigative commission was established on February 5. It holds regular hearings on various cases. Most Georgian opposition figures who are summoned to appear before the commission refuse to participate. Failure to appear before the commission is a criminal offense punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.

Reprinted from https://ria.ru/