Georgia's Protests: Repression, Resilience, European Path

Georgian citizens are demonstrating unwavering resolve in the face of escalating government repression and a controversial "foreign influence" law, as their fight for democracy and European integration reshapes daily life across the nation.

For over 220 days, Georgia's main thoroughfares, particularly Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, have been the epicenter of a continuous wave of protests. Tens, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, have gathered nightly since November 28, 2024, enduring the harshness of winter, spring rains, and summer heat. These demonstrations have spread beyond the capital, reaching cities like Batumi, Akhaltsikhe, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, and Gori, with individuals like Mzia Gabeshia in Martvili holding daily solo protests.

The current unrest was ignited on November 28, 2024, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the suspension of Georgia's EU accession talks until 2030. This declaration followed parliamentary elections on October 26, the results of which were widely disputed by the opposition, civil society, and international partners due to alleged falsifications and electoral violations, including breaches of ballot secrecy.

However, the roots of Georgia's protest movement run deeper. A key catalyst was the Georgian Dream government's reintroduction of the "Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence," dubbed the "Russian law" by opponents for its similarity to Russia's foreign agent legislation. While an initial attempt to pass the bill in spring 2023 failed due to mass demonstrations, a second attempt in spring 2024 succeeded despite equally large-scale public outcry.

This backdrop of political maneuvering is accompanied by a deepening crackdown on dissent. Over 50 protesters, including professionals from various fields like actors, teachers, musicians, doctors, and poets, are now imprisoned. Notably, Mzia Amglobeli, a female journalist, has been jailed for the first time in Georgia's history, alongside several opposition leaders.

Amnesty International has voiced grave concerns regarding the selective application of justice and the wider pattern of lengthy jail sentences for protesters following unfair trials. Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, highlighted the case of 19-year-old protester Saba Jikia, sentenced to over four years in prison for allegedly kicking an un-uniformed police officer. Krivosheev stated, "Saba Jikia’s trial was marred by fair trial concerns and a failure to apply youth justice procedures, usually available under Georgian law for defendants aged 18 to 21." Despite the officer testifying he suffered no injuries, and challenges to video evidence and expert testimony by the defense, Jikia received a near-maximum penalty, with youth justice provisions not applied in his case. Amnesty International also notes the authorities' unwillingness to investigate widespread allegations of ill-treatment and torture of protesters by police.

For many Georgians, protesting has evolved into a fundamental part of their daily existence, described by some as a "second job." This new routine has profoundly altered their lives, as shared by several participants:

Nino Bekishvili, a philologist and translator from Tbilisi, describes a duality of mourning and protesting. She feels a painful, unfamiliar sense of being a victim, yet finds therapeutic effect in standing on Rustaveli Avenue. Despite potential job loss, she cannot imagine leaving Georgia or remaining silent, even if it means arrest. Her hope stems from meeting bright and brave young people, believing that "Regimes aren’t eternal."

Guram Matskhonashvili, a director from Tbilisi, has found himself rereading works from the 1920s, resonating with the current political climate. He emphasizes how totalitarian systems infiltrate everyday life, driving out peace. Drawing parallels to Dante's The Divine Comedy, he highlights the political prisoners' search for light in darkness, concluding, "We are already in the dark — it’s time to see the stars. Whatever it costs, we must see the stars. Stars and freedom." For him, freedom has narrowed to a single definition: time.

Taya Makharashvili, a public policy specialist and former civil servant from Tbilisi, lost her job for opposing Georgia's European integration suspension. Now facing a lawsuit and no income, she attends rallies with her young children. She notes a shift in priorities, losing interest in trivialities and embracing military-style clothing, feeling the country has become a "barracks." Despite the challenges, she remains unbroken in spirit, confident that "what has knocked us down cannot last forever."

Tsiala Katamidze, an activist from Batumi, recounts how the "Russian law" has fractured relationships with friends and relatives who support it, viewing them as being "on the side of the enemy." Fined twice by the state for alleged infractions, she sees her struggles as minor compared to the "hell that political prisoners are enduring." She stands firm, believing that "Truth is truth, lies are lies, facts are facts. Where there is truth, there we are."

Elene Kaikhosroshvili, a human rights defender from Tbilisi, states her life has changed so much she barely remembers her old routine. The protests have reshaped her priorities, forcing her to focus on what truly matters. She acknowledges the emotional cost but emphasizes the immense resilience gained, asserting, "It’s not me making my parents anxious. It’s the brutal regime of Georgian Dream. And I have a role to play in ending that regime."

Archil Todua, regional coordinator for Transparency International Georgia in Zugdidi, views the continuous resistance as a pivotal chapter in his life. His motivation is deeply personal: to ensure his three children grow up in a free, democratic, and European Georgia. Despite exhaustion, he remains confident: "No one has ever won a battle against their own people — and they won’t now."

Dodi Kharkheli, a digital communications specialist from Tbilisi, finds strength and purpose in the protests, feeling "Better than ever!" She has reoriented her social life around the resistance, making new friends and deepening existing bonds. Her greatest anger stems from the regime "stealing time" – precious moments with her young children. Despite a police detention and home search, she is resolute: "Even if the protests end tomorrow, the resistance won’t."

Tamuna Uchidze, regional coordinator for Transparency International Georgia in Akhaltsikhe, describes a world irrevocably changed. She can no longer maintain relationships with those who support the "Russian law," viewing them as complicit in a war against Russia that threatens Georgia's future. She continues her work exposing corruption despite fear, stating, "I cannot hand over my country to Russia. I cannot imagine giving up Georgia — the country we have worked so hard to build."

These personal accounts underscore the profound impact of the ongoing political struggle on the lives of ordinary Georgians. They reveal a collective determination to resist what they perceive as an authoritarian shift and to safeguard their nation's pro-European aspirations. The future remains uncertain, but the spirit of resistance in Georgia is undeniably strong, driven by a deep commitment to freedom and a democratic future.