Civil activists questioned at Tbilisi City Court on alleged plan to overthrow gov’t

Six civil activists from Free Zone and Shecvale (Change) organisations have been questioned earlier today at Tbilisi City Court regarding an alleged plan to ‘overthrow the government.’

• State Security Service: obstruction of ex-president Saakashvili’s transfer to prison hospital planned

The SSS reported that the activists plotted to obstruct Saakashvili’s transfer to a prison clinic by blocking the roads, which would lead to civil unrest and the ultimate overthrow of the government.

However, all the activists deny the allegations against them.

Free Zone activist Maia Mindiashvili said that a few days before the run-off municipal elections, the activists had a discussion on how to prevent Saakashvili’s transfer to a prison hospital. However, she said, there were no plans of overthrowing the government.

If someone is planning to do something, it happens behind the scenes, not involving cell phones… What does this have to do with unrest? If blocking the roads implies unrest, then I don’t know, Mindiashvili added.

The SSS launched an investigation on October 29 about an alleged plan to overthrow the government.

• State Security head on alleged plan to overthrow gov’t: interesting facts, proceedings await us ahead

The investigative body published an audio file allegedly recorded at the presidential library of Saakashvili, in which the supporters of the largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM) discuss ways to obstruct Saakashvili's transfer to a prison clinic.

The SSS head Grigol Liluashvili has said earlier that the authenticity of the audio file has been confirmed by the participants of the conversation, stating that ‘the case contains signs of a criminal offense.’