Georgia Opposition Leaders Sentenced as Democratic Backsliding Accelerates

Brussels - Four prominent Georgian opposition leaders have been sentenced and barred from holding public office for two years in what European Parliament officials are calling a "blatant attack on democracy" designed to silence political opposition ahead of upcoming municipal elections.

The sentencing affects Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze from the Lelo-Strong Georgia party, Zurab Japaridze of the Coalition for Change, and Giorgi Vashadze from the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party. Their crime: refusing to cooperate with what European officials describe as a politically motivated parliamentary commission controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The development represents the latest escalation in what observers describe as Georgia's rapid democratic deterioration under Georgian Dream leadership. European Parliament officials have expressed particular concern about the timing, coming as the country prepares for municipal elections amid an already compromised democratic environment.

"This move is a clear example of the Georgian Dream's attempts to consolidate power and suppress any form of opposition," stated leading MEPs in a joint communique, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister and South Caucasus Delegation Chair Nils Ušakovs.

The situation has been further complicated by reports of violence against political opponents, including a recent assault on former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who was attacked at a Batumi hotel and required hospitalization.

European officials have called for immediate EU action, specifically urging personal sanctions against Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. They've also called for early parliamentary elections under improved conditions with international observation.

The crisis has been ongoing since October 2024's disputed parliamentary elections, which European observers say were marred by fraud and did not meet international democratic standards. Protests have continued for 50 days, with demonstrators calling for Georgia's return to its European path.

European Parliament officials have stated they only recognize President Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate representative of Georgian people's will, while refusing to acknowledge the current parliament's legitimacy.