EditWriting “Georgian Dream = Russian Dream” costs 18 months in jail in Tbilisi
The case of Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition party Droa, has drawn sharp criticism from international organizations
Tbilisi City Court sentenced on 24 March Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition party Droa, to one year and six months in prison.
The charge was “damaging or destroying another person’s property which has resulted in substantial damage.” The incident occurred on 14 September 2025, when Khoshtaria used a marker to write the words “Russian Dream” on election posters belonging to Kakha Kaladze, the incumbent mayor of Tbilisi and a prominent figure in the ruling Georgian Dream party. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the damage amounted to 570 gel, equivalent to about 180 euro. Judge Giorgi Arevadze delivered the verdict, with the sentence running from the date of her arrest on 15 September 2025. The court also ordered the marker to be destroyed and the banner returned to its owner.
Khoshtaria carried out the act as a gesture of solidarity with 23-year-old student and activist Megi Diasamidze, who had been detained days earlier for a similar protest on one of Kaladze’s banners. Diasamidze remains on trial under the same article of the Criminal Code but has been released on bail of 2,000 gel (638 euro). Khoshtaria’s case quickly became emblematic of broader tensions. Initially, the court set bail at 5,000 gel (1594 euro), but she refused to pay it, choosing instead to remain in detention as a form of protest. She did not attend any court sessions, declined legal representation in the proceedings, and submitted a written statement rejecting both the charges and the legitimacy of the judicial institutions, which she associates with the ruling party.
A defiant voice from Rustavi prison
After the sentencing, Khoshtaria published a full statement from Rustavi women’s prison. In it, she framed her imprisonment not as punishment but as a continuation of resistance. “When you fight the Russian regime, you don’t realize and don’t understand what kind of battle you are in,” she wrote. “It would be amazing, even irresponsible, not to be prepared for a whole series of discomforts.” She directly addressed perceptions of her sentence: “If Bidzina Ivanishvili (considered the gray cardinal of Georgian politics) thinks so, he punished me… For me, this would be a punishment, to be afraid and to adapt to the Russians, and not prepare for a fight with them.”
Khoshtaria expressed amusement at the idea that prison could delay the struggle, describing it instead as giving her a kind of pleasure. She noted that no matter what methods authorities use, whether through judges or other figures, they are “all doomed.” She emphasized her resolve: “I have understood exactly their weak points and that is where they will receive blows calmly and quietly from us.” Turning to personal matters, she affirmed responsibility for her four children, stating they “do not need the mercy of a Russian” and understand the reasons for the family’s ordeal far better than others. She thanked the opposition coalition for its firm stance against any bargaining over her release, as well as journalists, activists, and citizens for their support. Notably, she expressed gratitude even to the prison administration, saying she lacked nothing and had nothing difficult there. Her message concluded with a call to action: “Let’s continue the fight, me from here, you from there. Until the end!”
This letter underscores Khoshtaria’s unwavering position. She has categorically forbidden any negotiations for her release, viewing them as a deal with the regime. Her refusal to recognize the court’s authority and her decision to stay imprisoned reflect a deliberate strategy to expose what she and many critics see as the politicization of the justice system.
International condemnation and the wider context of repression
The case has drawn sharp criticism from international organizations. In March the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Khoshtaria and other political prisoners in Georgia.
The document stresses that the charges against her are politically motivated and represent an attack on freedom of expression. Amnesty International also reacted strongly. Denis Krivosheev, the organization’s deputy director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, described the sentence as disproportionate: “For a symbolic act expressed during a protest, a barely visible inscription on a poster hung on the street, Elene Khoshtaria will spend a year and a half in prison. This is another example of how the criminal justice system is used to punish dissent.” He added that using criminal punishment for non-violent, minor actions during peaceful protests constitutes a disproportionate restriction on freedom of speech, and imprisonment should not be applied in such cases. Amnesty urged the authorities to release her immediately and to review and terminate all politically motivated cases.
These reactions occur against a backdrop of sustained unrest in Georgia. For over a year, and particularly since the widely contested parliamentary elections in October 2025, daily protests have continued across the country. Authorities have responded with escalating repression, including arbitrary arrests, abusive criminal prosecutions, intimidation and harassment of protesters and government critics, and the tightening of both administrative and criminal legislation. Such measures have significantly restricted the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. The adoption of a so-called “Russian law” on foreign agents by Georgian Dream, despite widespread public opposition, has further fueled accusations that the government is following a path similar to Russia’s, where comparable legislation has dismantled democratic institutions and consolidated authoritarian control. Independent media outlets, such as Batumelebi/Netgazeti, have publicly refused to comply with the law or register as foreign agents, citing its unconstitutional and anti-democratic nature.
Khoshtaria’s imprisonment is widely viewed not as a response to material damage – 570 gel for a marker inscription, but as punishment for the symbolic challenge she posed to the ruling party’s image and policies. By labeling the party “Russian Dream,” she highlighted widely perceived pro-Russian orientations and the erosion of Georgia’s democratic aspirations and European path. Her case illustrates how minor acts of protest are being met with criminal sanctions, contributing to a climate where dissent is increasingly criminalized.
Sources: Netgazeti.ge, Georgia Today, Civil Georgia, Amnesty International and European Parliament statement
Caption: Opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa party and a member of the Coalition for Change, has been sentenced to one year and six months in prison in connection with an inscription she made on an election campaign banner belonging to Kakha Kaladze of Georgian Dream. (Netgazeti.ge)
Updated: March 25, 2026 - 13:25
