Bacho Akhalaia: I will repeat what is wrong – I believe that Ivanishvili’s government should be overthrown brutally
I will repeat what is wrong – I believe that Ivanishvili’s government should be overthrown brutally, – former Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia stated this at the trial.
According to Bacho Akhalaia, this is the only decent behavior and a guarantee that whoever comes to power in the future will not dare to take the path of dictatorship.
According to him, there is no article in the Criminal Code that punishes the overthrow of the government.
"Something very strange happened, I was charged because of what I said in court. The Criminal Code of Georgia does not mention overthrowing the government as a crime. Robbery and banditry are crimes. This means that overthrowing the government is a legal act, a normal behavior in the conditions of a dictator like the one we are in. There is no article in the Criminal Code that punishes overthrowing the government. If I stood up tomorrow and overthrew the government with my associates, they would not charge me, because everything that is not prohibited by the Criminal Code is permitted. Accordingly, I say that the only way out of this situation that our nation has is to overthrow the occupying government. This is the only fair way by which Georgia can restore its dignity. Elections are not being held, everyone knows that standing on the street, protesting is not allowed. Standing on the sidewalk is a crime under the law, overthrowing the government is not yet. There is no "The article that declares the overthrow of the government a crime," Bacho Akhalaia noted.
According to Bacho Akhalaia, "he will do everything to brutally overthrow Ivanishvili."
"I am not saying anything illegal and I do not even think about it. If this man thinks that he will go far this way, he is very mistaken. He may think that he will escape like Gaddafi or our Aslan Abashidze, but Ivanishvili knows for sure that we will bring him down and bring him to this court. I did not go up to the table and did not commit hooliganism. This is the opinion that I said, I repeat the same thing - when we overthrow Ivanishvili, the next day a prosecutor or someone will come to us and say that he committed a crime, but this is not a crime, overthrowing a dictator is not a crime, this is a right and in such a situation, an obligation. We will overthrow Ivanishvili and his followers, everyone will be severely held accountable before the people. I am deeply convinced that it is the legal right and obligation of my citizen to do what is necessary to overthrow this formal government with Ivanishvili's audacity and everyone will be severely held accountable. Bidzina knows very well that we Georgians have "The ability to do this," said Bacho Akhalaia.
For information, the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia charged Bacho Akhalaia on March 27 with calling for the violent change of the constitutional order of Georgia and the overthrow of the state government.
Bacho Akhalaia was charged under Article 317 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (calling for the violent change of the constitutional order of Georgia and the overthrow of the state government), which provides for up to 3 years of imprisonment as a form and measure of punishment.