EditGeorgia’s crackdown intensifies: third opposition leader jailed amid authoritarian drift
The once powerful protests appear to be waning under relentless state repression
On 13 June Georgian opposition politician Nika Gvaramia was placed in pre-trial detention for up to nine months, marking the third prominent leader from the pro-Western Coalition for Change bloc to be jailed in a sweeping government crackdown.
Gvaramia’s detention, following his refusal to testify before a parliamentary commission probing alleged crimes under former President Mikheil Saakashvili (2004–2012), underscores the ruling Georgian Dream party’s escalating efforts to silence dissent. Having weathered mass protests over a disputed October 2024 election and its decision to suspend EU accession talks, the government, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, is consolidating power, raising fears of Georgia’s slide into autocracy.
The power behind the throne
Founded in 2012 by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a reclusive billionaire who amassed his $4.63 billion fortune in Russia’s metals and banking sectors during the 1990s, the Georgian Dream party rose to power by defeating Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) in the 2012 parliamentary elections. Ivanishvili, who served as prime minister from 2012 to 2013, has since wielded unparalleled influence as the party’s honorary chairman, often described as Georgia’s “shadow ruler.”
Despite stepping back from formal roles in 2013 and 2021, Ivanishvili’s return to frontline politics in January 2024 as honorary chairman – empowering him to nominate the prime minister – confirmed his enduring control. Critics, including opposition leader Tina Khidasheli, argue that Ivanishvili’s wealth, estimated at one-sixth of Georgia’s GDP, allows him to dominate state institutions, judiciary, and media through loyal appointees, such as former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Georgian Dream initially positioned itself as a centrist coalition committed to EU and NATO integration, capitalizing on public frustration with Saakashvili’s reforms. However, since securing a fourth term in the contested October 2024 election with 54% of the vote, the party has pivoted toward authoritarianism and closer ties with Russia, alarming Georgia’s traditionally pro-Western populace.
Ivanishvili’s rhetoric, laced with anti-Western conspiracy theories about a “global war party” and homophobic tropes, has framed the opposition as traitors bent on dragging Georgia into a Ukraine-style conflict with Russia. His pledges to ban opposition parties, reiterated at a pre-election rally on 23 October 2024, have fuelled accusations of Kremlin alignment, especially as Russia occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory (Abkhazia and South Ossetia) since the 2008 war.
Controversial policies denounced by the opposition
Georgian Dream’s policies over the past two years have drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, civil society, and Western allies for their authoritarian bent and pro-Russian tilt. Key measures include a “Foreign Agents” Law (May 2024), modeled on Russian legislation, requiring NGOs and media receiving over 20% of funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents,” anti-LGBT Legislation (October 2024), curbing LGBT rightsm, echoing Russia’s conservative policies.
The opposition accuses Georgian Dream of capturing the judiciary and press through Ivanishvili’s appointees, undermining democratic checks. Human Rights Watch reported “brutal violence” against journalists and activists during protests, with police raiding opposition offices.
Despite 80% public support for EU integration and Georgia’s EU candidate status in 2023, Georgian Dream halted accession talks until 2028, triggering widespread outrage and protests.
These policies, combined with Ivanishvili’s threats to outlaw opposition parties, have led opponents like Nika Gvaramia, Zurab Japaridze, and Nika Melia to label the government an “oligarchy” serving Russian interests. The opposition’s rejection of the October 2024 election results, backed by U.S. polling organisations citing evidence of fraud, has fuelled claims of a “constitutional coup.”
Protests: a surge and a slow decline
The October 2024 election, marred by allegations of ballot-stuffing and voter intimidation, sparked mass protests across Tbilisi, with tens of thousands rallying against Georgian Dream’s victory and its subsequent EU accession freeze. Led by pro-Western figures like President Salome Zourabichvili, who called the election a “Russian special operation,” and opposition leaders like Gvaramia, the demonstrations peaked in November and December 2024, with over 400 detentions reported. Protesters, waving EU flags, demanded a new election and EU alignment, with Zourabichvili refusing to leave office until new polls were held.
However, the protests appear to be waning under relentless state repression. The jailing of opposition leaders, including Gvaramia, Japaridze, and Melia, alongside activists like 21-year-old Mate Devidze (sentenced to 4.5 years for allegedly assaulting police), has demoralised the movement. Police tactics, including water cannons and “torture” of detainees, per Human Rights Watch, have deterred street actions. The opposition’s boycott of parliament and Zourabichvili’s defiance have not yielded concessions, with Georgian Dream installing Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer and party ally, as president in December 2024.
Authoritarian slide
Georgia, once a beacon of pro-Western democracy among post-Soviet states, has veered sharply authoritarian since 2023, driven by Georgian Dream’s policies and Ivanishvili’s consolidation of power. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili on 27 December 2024, accusing him of “undermining Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future” for Russia’s benefit, freezing his U.S. assets and banning travel. The EU, alongside allies like Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the crackdown, with the European Parliament demanding election reruns and sanctions. Yet, Ivanishvili’s defiance, bolstered by economic growth (7% GDP increase in 2023) and a fragmented opposition, has sustained Georgian Dream’s dominance.
Sources: Reuters, U.S. Department of State, BBC, The Guardian, Civil Georgia, Al Jazeera, RFE/RL, posts on X
Zurab Japaridze (L), one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition party, accused of failing to fulfil the demands of the Georgian parliament’s temporary investigative commission probing the activities of the 2003-2012 government and its officials, attends a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia, 25 May 2025. EPA/IRAKLI GEDENIDZE / REUTERS / POOL
Updated: June 14, 2025 - 05:37
