TBILISI, January 26 – Georgian opposition politician Givi Targamadze was released Monday from a prison facility in Rustavi. He served a seven month sentence for refusing to appear before a temporary parliamentary investigative commission.
He was detained on June 27, 2025, after personally surrendering to a police unit in central Tbilisi, following a court decision ordering his imprisonment.
A court found Targamadze guilty of failing to comply with a request from parliament’s temporary investigative commission. A judge sentenced him to seven months in prison and also barred him from holding office for two years. Targamadze did not attend the hearing and did not use his right to a final statement.
Targamadze had been summoned to parliament on April 3 to provide explanations to the commission, but did not show up. After that, he was charged for failure to comply with a parliamentary commission summoning and the court initially imposed bail of 10,000 lari (3,700 USD), which he paid.
Speaking to journalists after his release, Targamadze said he felt uneasy that he was out while many others remained in prison, adding that he would have been happy if he were the last one to be released. He wished health and strength to those still jailed and thanked supporters and his family, Interpressnews reports.
Targamadze described his time in custody as an “original environment,” claiming he was held near a person convicted over an attempt on his life, and said former Georgian Dream officials later ended up in the same facility.
Targamadze’s reference to a convicted attacker points back to a high-profile assassination attempt in October 2016, when his car was hit by an explosion in central Tbilisi just days before Georgia’s parliamentary election. The blast struck the rear of the vehicle as it passed Kolmeurnoba Square, injuring several bystanders, while Targamadze and his driver escaped with minor injuries.
Georgian authorities described the incident at the time as an attempted murder and a politically motivated attack.
