The Constitutional Court of Georgia, which is currently reviewing a lawsuit by the ruling party seeking to ban the opposition, initially expelled Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, from the courtroom before granting him permission to return. At the same time, Maia Kopaleishvili, who was also removed by presiding judge Revaz Nadaraya, was not allowed to resume her participation in the proceedings.
A motion requesting the readmission of both figures was filed by coalition member Tengo Tevzadze. According to him, without Gvaramia’s presence, the court would be unable to properly examine the factual circumstances concerning the party, while without Kopaleishvili, the defense would have to proceed without the “primary architect of its legal position.”
Tevzadze also stressed that, if readmitted, they would maintain courtroom order, and demanded that the procedural measures prescribed by law be applied to both parties on an equal footing.
Nadaraya granted the motion in part. He explained that Gvaramia’s removal had been solely due to a disruption of order, which is why the court deemed it permissible to grant him the right to return to the hearing.
The judge justified the refusal to readmit Kopaleishvili by stating that, in addition to breaching courtroom protocol, she had inflicted an “extremely severe insult” on the court by framing Gvaramia’s expulsion as compliance with instructions from the ruling Georgian Dream party.
“Such a grave allegation that the court is supposedly acting on someone’s orders is an unprecedented insult,” Nadaraya stated.
Notably, during the November 11 hearing, an altercation broke out between Archil Gorduladze, a lawmaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party, and Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change. The MP described as “obvious” a connection to Murtaz Zodelava, who was convicted of calling for the overthrow of the government, and the United National Movement party.
Gvaramia disputed the claim, stating that Zodelava had never been a party member and that the fact they were former university classmates did not constitute a valid legal argument. Due to the heated exchange, the judge removed the opposition politician from the courtroom.
In response, another representative of the Coalition for Change, Maia Kopaleishvili, stated that the court should expel her as well. She further added that the judge was deliberately excluding Nika Gvaramia because it was a direct order from Georgian Dream. Following these remarks, Revaz Nadaraya removed Maia Kopaleishvili from the courtroom as well.