Georgia's Political Turmoil: Intensifying Crackdowns on Dissent

• The ruling Georgian Dream party continues its aggressive crackdown on civil society, media, and political opposition.
• Western stakeholders, including the EU, are considering sanctions such as suspending visa-free travel and expulsion from the Council of Europe if human rights and reform standards are not met.
• The government is using the judiciary to criminalize protest and silence critical voices through arrests and convictions.

Pressure on Civil Society and Media

• On September 2, the Prosecutor General’s Office summoned heads of prominent NGOs for an alleged sabotage investigation; seven organizations have had their bank accounts frozen.
• Authorities labeled protective equipment like respiratory masks and goggles as evidence of illegal funding for protesters.
• Media repression is escalating: Hungarian journalist László Mézes was assaulted on September 8, and journalists from the outlet Publika were also attacked.
• The country has increasingly denied entry to foreign journalists, diplomats, and other international visitors.

Judicial Sentencing and Political Purges

• On September 2 and 3, courts sentenced multiple protesters to two-to-three-year prison terms for "group violence."
• Opposition figure Saba Skhvitaridze was sentenced to two years in prison after a confrontation with an ununiformed officer, often referred to as a "Titushki" (unidentified assailant in black clothing).
• A parliamentary commission, established in early 2025 to investigate the former UNM government, is being used to justify the arrest of opposition leaders and support a potential ban on opposition groups.

International Response

• The U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act, which authorizes sanctions against officials responsible for suppressing democracy.
• A joint statement from the EU and numerous European foreign ministers condemned the democratic backsliding in July.
• The OSCE and the U.S. State Department have issued reports highlighting the lack of fair trial standards and the deteriorating human rights environment in Georgia.