Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the political party Strategy Builder, has been sentenced to 7 months in prison and barred from holding public office for two years. The ruling was delivered by Judge Nino Galustashvili, who found Vashadze guilty of failing to comply with a request from the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia.
Vashadze was convicted under Article 349 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which criminalizes noncompliance with a parliamentary commission's request. The offense is punishable by a fine, imprisonment of up to one year, or disqualification from holding office for up to three years.
Despite a request from his lawyer to delay the hearing to allow for the defendant's final statement, the judge proceeded with the sentencing. Vashadze did not attend the session and awaited the verdict at his party's headquarters with colleagues.
Earlier, Vashadze had been released on a 50,000 GEL bail, which he paid within the legally stipulated timeframe.
