Georgian opposition politician Giorgi Baramidze has been detained in connection with an investigation into alleged treason and sabotage over remarks he made about the treatment of prisoners during the 1992–1993 Abkhazia war.

Baramidze, a former defense and interior minister and one of the leaders of the United National Movement, was detained at his home on September 11. The Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating him since August after comments he made during a July interview about prisoner exchanges during the conflict.

In the interview, Baramidze, who had been involved in efforts to secure the release of prisoners during the war, described a situation in which Georgian forces had stopped taking some Abkhaz fighters prisoner. He attributed this to revenge and the killing of relatives and friends during the conflict. His remarks were later circulated in an edited video and prompted a criminal investigation.

Baramidze subsequently rejected the interpretation that he had accused the Georgian state or armed forces of systematically executing prisoners. He maintained that his remarks had been distorted and that he was referring to fighters being killed rather than a state policy of executing prisoners.

The Prosecutor’s Office has characterized the information attributed to Baramidze as damaging to Georgia’s state and national interests and foreign security, and the investigation concerns provisions of the Criminal Code covering treason and sabotage. The treason provision was restored to Georgian criminal legislation by the ruling Georgian Dream party in 2025.

The detention has drawn strong criticism from opposition figures, who have called the case politically motivated, cynical, and absurd, arguing that Baramidze’s statement does not amount to treason and accusing the authorities of using criminal proceedings against political opponents.

Iago Khvichia, whose program featured the interview with Baramidze, also rejected the charges, arguing that the statements made during the broadcast did not amount to treason. He questioned why the prosecution had pursued Baramidze over comments made on the program and called the detention unjustified.

Baramidze himself has rejected the allegations and maintained that he had always acted truthfully in matters concerning the country. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to four years under the charges.