Sichinava Tells Plenum: History Will Judge Everyone, Plaintiff, Defendant and Court

"Gakharia for Georgia" representative Berdia Sichinava, in his closing speech at the Constitutional Court's hearing on banning opposition parties, asked judges to reject the lawsuit. According to him, the lawsuit seeks to declare the political party, a dissenting view, unconstitutional and to ban it.

According to Sichinava, any observer who reads this lawsuit will understand that this is an abuse of the concept of militant democracy by the authorities to destroy opposition political parties. In his assessment, the lawsuit is completely irrelevant, unprepared and not based on evidence.

Sichinava addressed the plenum members: "Therefore, dear judges, members of the plenum, this is truly a historic process, and you yourselves will justify this, because a similar precedent, since the Constitutional Court of Georgia was established, such an issue has not been considered with an oral hearing, therefore I am confident that history will judge everyone: the plaintiff, the defendant and the court. I want to ask you to stand on the side of history, democracy and loyalty to the Constitution of Georgia. Please do not grant the constitutional lawsuit that seeks to declare a dissenting view, our political party, unconstitutional and to ban it".

Plenum chairman Revaz Nadaraia responded to Sichinava's speech. He said that the plenum's decision, by which the motion of "Gakharia for Georgia" to postpone the process was not granted, was correct. According to Nadaraia, the rights of the party were not violated by this.

Nadaraia stated: "I want to note, and I am not saying this in the sense of what the court will take into account from Mr. Berdia's explanations, that is another matter, I do not know, but the plenum's decision, by which the motion of the party "Gakharia for Georgia" was not granted, was correct, and the rights of the party were not violated by this, because you appeared before the court very well prepared".