Managing Partner of BLC Law Office, Keti Kvartskhava, has publicly expressed her deep respect and solidarity with Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, and others who have been arrested in what she describes as politically motivated processes. In a social media statement, Kvartskhava condemns injustice and urges society not to remain silent in the face of growing political repression.
"Throughout my life, I have overcome my fears and complexes by repeatedly doing exactly what scared and complexed me," she writes. "Because there is a big difference between cowardice and caution, courage and arrogance."
Kvartskhava criticizes the growing culture of fear, where people hesitate to express their beliefs in public spaces, even when they fundamentally agree with them. She warns that such silence leads to self-censorship and the erosion of civil courage.
"If you believe that expressing your opinion publicly is dangerous for you, if you're afraid to support a view you agree with, 'congratulations,' you are on the blessed path of cowardice," she states. "You still have time, don't lose your voice and self-respect."
Kvartskhava’s message includes a heartfelt tribute to Khazaradze, Japaridze, and other individuals detained under what she characterizes as politically motivated legal processes. She praises their courage and commitment to democratic principles.
"I want to express my great respect for my long-time clients and friends... for their example of courage," she says.
In the latter part of her post, Kvartskhava denounces the broader political climate in Georgia, citing unjust laws, politically motivated persecution, censorship in media and public spaces, judicial blindness to evidence, and the application of disproportionate sanctions.
"Do not turn democracy into a curse word. Democracy begins with fair, transparent, credible elections, continues with a fair trial, and is killed by the deprivation of freedom of speech and expression. Without democracy, peace is an illusion", - Kvartskhava writes.
