A new case against Akhalaia has been filed in court.

A Tbilisi court has begun hearing the case against former Georgian Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, accused of calling for the overthrow of the government. Akhalaia denied his guilt.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot", on March 9 it became known that Bacho Akhalaia had become a suspect in a new criminal case – for calling for the overthrow of the government. He faces up to three years in prison on this charge.

The Tbilisi City Court has accepted for consideration the merits of a new case against Bacho Akhalaia, former Georgian Defense Minister during the National Movement's rule, for public calls for the overthrow of state power.

At today's hearing, Akhalaia declared himself not guilty, while emphasizing that he stands by his words. "The case should not be referred for trial on the merits, as no Georgian has the moral right to judge another for seeking to overthrow the occupation regime," he said.

Judge Lela Kalichenko fully granted the prosecutor's motion, simultaneously accepting the evidence presented against Akhalaia, according to Novosti Georgia.

At the end of 2025, Akhalaia was detained in connection with a separate criminal case – the attempted storming of the presidential palace on October 4. In this case, he faces up to nine years in prison if found guilty of organizing and leading group violence.

The attempt to seize the presidential palace was doomed to failure and gave the current government a new opportunity to exert pressure on the opposition. The only chance for a peaceful change of power remains if the opposition overcomes its disunity, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated. Municipal elections were held in all Georgian municipalities on October 4. Candidates from the ruling Georgian Dream party were elected mayors in all 64 cities where elections were held, receiving 100% of the vote in 26 of them. These elections determined the political balance in Georgia for the coming years, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Municipal Elections in Georgia on October 4, 2025".

The "Caucasian Knot" has compiled materials about the past municipal elections and protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Post-Election Protests".