Georgia’s political turmoil remains on full display

Meanwhile, Western stakeholders are considering various measures

Originally published on Global Voices

In Georgia, politically-motivated crackdowns on dissenters by the ruling Georgian Dream party continues unabated. From arrests and repressive actions towards the media and civil society, to purges in the civil service and other forms of pressure and intimidation, the rift between the government and its critics is deepening.

Meanwhile, if — as indicated in a letter from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs to Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs — the government fails to show progress on key reforms and human rights–related demands, Western stakeholders are considering various measures, including expelling the country from the Council of Europe, and suspending visa-free travel to Georgian citizens.

Targeting civil society and media

On September 2, in a significant escalation, the Prosecutor General’s Office summoned the heads of several prominent Georgian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for an investigation into an alleged sabotage case. This action followed the freezing of bank accounts belonging to seven civil society organizations, which were accused of allegedly facilitating violence during anti-government protests. The investigation claims that protective equipment, like respiratory masks and goggles discovered during the police search of the organizations’ offices, were evidence they were using funds to aid protesters.

The pressure is not limited to civil society. A Georgian journalist was recently sentenced to two years in prison, sparking outrage at home and abroad and highlighting the increasing repression in the country’s media landscape. On September 8, during a rally in Tbilisi, Hungarian journalist László Mézes was attacked, resulting in injuries to his face and a broken finger. Two journalists from the Georgian outlet Publika were also attacked.

Javid Ahmedov, an Azerbaijan journalist pursuing a master's degree in Tbilisi, was the latest example of blocked entry into the country, both for journalists and other foreigners in recent months, including an American diplomat, a stand-up comedian, a French photographer, and others.

Sentencing and detentions of protesters

Also on September 2, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced eight protesters to prison terms ranging from two to two-and-a-half years, on charges of organizing or participating in “group violence.” Government critics and family members of the detainees, who have been protesting for their release, insist the cases are fabricated and based on insufficient evidence. Despite the convictions, the families have shown defiance, with one mother proclaiming, “Let the regime fear mothers!”

Since November 2024, the country has witnessed ongoing protests ignited by the government's November 2024 decision to suspend talks on Georgia's European Union accession. Hundreds of people have been detained, with criminal cases launched in over 50 instances. Several protesters have already been convicted and sentenced to years in prison.

On September 3, the same court sentenced Saba Skhvitaridze, a member of the opposition Ahali party, to two years behind bars. The initial criminal charge brought against him involved harming a police officer’s health while on duty, which carries a sentence of seven to 11 years’ incarceration. Skhvitaridze later explained that he had confronted the individual in response to an attack on a woman and insults hurled at bystanders during a demonstration on December 5, 2024.

The officer was not wearing a uniform; rather, he was dressed as what Georgians refer to as Titushki — or as a U.S. State Department Report describes them, “unidentified assailants typically dressed in all black with their faces covered.” After prosecutors reclassified the charge as intentional infliction of less serious bodily harm, the judge chose to sentence Skhvitaridze rather than opt for house arrest and community service.

That same day, the court sentenced a group of 11 protesters to two-year prison terms. “I am proud, truly proud, that I raised two heroic sons!” Marina Terishvili said after the verdict. One of her children, Mamuka, was killed at a demonstration in 1992, and her other son, Giorgi, was among the 11 sentenced.

Detentions and arrests have not subsided. On September 2, at least 20 people were detained in central Tbilisi during a demonstration against the government's parliamentary commission, which was established in February 2025 to investigate alleged crimes under the United National Movement (UNM) rule from 2003-2012. Since then, the commission has expanded its scope, allowing Georgian Dream to implicate any opposition figure; this has led to the arrests of several high-profile political leaders.

While police claimed the detentions were for “not complying with the police's lawful order” to clear the roadway, visual recordings and images from the scene indicate otherwise:

Look how they are almost strangling our @DroaParty member and veteran activist Shushana Matsaberidze! This time she was just standing for herself on the pavement and even reproached me for being in front. The police just recognizes her and wants to get rid of her.… https://t.co/qPTwOfqHgO pic.twitter.com/HT1GtnlQtX

— Marika Mikiashvili (@Mikiashvili_M) September 2, 2025

On September 3, the ruling party published a 471-page report summarizing the results of the commission's investigation outlining the alleged crimes committed by the former ruling UNM and its leader; imprisoned the former president, Mikheil Saakashvili; and detained members of other opposition groups. Georgian Dream has repeatedly said it intends to use the findings of the investigation to ban Georgia’s opposition.

International response

In May, the United States House of Representatives passed the Mobilising and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act, which calls for the sanctioning of Georgia government officials, and others responsible for “advancing […] Russian-style foreign agent legislation or undermining or suppressing lawful popular or civil society opposition.”

In July, the foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the European Union issued a joint statement expressing their concern about the deteriorating situation in Georgia.

That same month, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expressed its concern over “the arrests of dozens of protestors in recent months and reports of the lack of respect for fair trial standards, as well as of increased pressure on human rights defenders and civil society actors while carrying out their legitimate work.” The European Parliament, in a plenary session on July 9, deplored the democratic backsliding in Georgia. In August, the U.S. State Department's Human Rights Report highlighted “notable negative human rights developments in Georgia.”

As seen during the most recent protest on September 8, despite international criticism, Georgia's government is continuing to suppress political opposition and silence critical voices — but the resilience and defiance of protesters and their families signal that the struggle for democratic space is far from over.

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