UNM member Levan Khabeishvili sentenced to pre-trial detention

The Chairman of the Political Council of the opposition United National Movement party, Levan Khabeishvili, has been remanded in custody as a preventive measure.

The decision was issued today by Tbilisi City Court judge Pikria Sikturashvili. The defense had requested the judge’s disqualification, arguing that she had previously ruled on Khabeishvili’s detention. The prosecution opposed the motion, and the court rejected the defense’s request.

Meanwhile, supporters of Khabeishvili and representatives of the National Movement gathered outside the court building.

Khabeishvili was arrested on September 11 by the State Security Service on charges of publicly offering bribes to officials. The Prosecutor’s Office announced today that he now faces an additional charge—calling for the overthrow of the state government.

“The Anti-Corruption Agency of the State Security Service of Georgia has established that in August and September 2025, Levan Khabeishvili, Chairman of the Political Council of the United National Movement, systematically made public appeals on television and social networks. He allegedly promised to pay USD 200,000 as a bribe to employees of the Department for Special Assignments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs if they refused to undergo training and exercises, perform their official duties, or use the special means permitted by law. Khabeishvili also publicly pledged to pay the same amount to police officers who provided him with information or classified materials related to their official activities.

Based on a court ruling, he was arrested on September 11, 2025, and charged under Part 2 of Article 339 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns promising a bribe to an official to commit an illegal act, either by taking action in favour of the bribe-giver or by refraining from performing official duties.

In addition, based on further evidence obtained in the same case, Khabeishvili was also charged under Article 317 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to making public calls to overthrow the state government. Since June 2025, he had allegedly been urging citizens to take actions aimed at overthrowing the government, even specifying a date and place for such actions,” the statement by the Prosecutor General’s Office reads.