Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia jailed in Georgia amid deepening crackdown

Tblisi tribunal sentences absorption fig Nika Gvaramia to 8 months and bans him from holding bureau for 2 years.

A tribunal successful Georgia has sentenced salient absorption fig Nika Gvaramia to 8 months successful prison, amid a deepening crackdown connected critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Gvaramia, the co-leader of the absorption Akhali party, was besides barred from holding bureau for 2 years.

The tribunal imposed the condemnation connected Tuesday implicit his refusal to cooperate with a parliamentary committee tasked with investigating alleged wrongdoing nether ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, a pro-Western reformer presently serving a 12-and-a-half-year situation term.

Several different starring opponents of Georgian Dream person been jailed connected akin charges to Gvaramia, including Giorgi Vashadze, a erstwhile lawman justness minister, who received a seven-month situation sentence past week.

The crackdown has led to increasing accusations against the governing enactment that it is trampling connected ideology amid continuing protests successful the aftermath of past year’s disputed elections.

Speaking to the AFP quality bureau connected Tuesday, Gvaramia’s lawyer Dito Sadzaglishvili said the verdict against his lawsuit was “unlawful” and “part of the government’s effort to crush each dissent successful Georgia”.

Growing criticism

The British authorities connected Monday denounced the crackdown connected absorption figures and summoned the country’s complaint d’affaires.

“The imprisonment of salient absorption leaders is the latest effort by the Georgian authorities to ace down connected freedoms and stifle dissent,” the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office said.

“The UK Government volition not hesitate to see further enactment should Georgia not instrumentality to respecting and upholding democracy, freedoms and quality rights,” it added.

The NGO Amnesty International besides criticised the government, saying past week successful absorption to Vashadze’s sentencing that it had “serious concerns implicit the misuse of legislative, policing and different powers to soundlessness authorities critics successful Georgia”.

The quality rights organisation specifically took purpose astatine the parliamentary committee linked to the arrests of absorption figures.

“With its presumption disputed, the committee has been instrumentalised to people erstwhile nationalist officials for their principled opposition,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty’s lawman manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

A constabulary serviceman handcuffs person Giorgi Vashadze successful Tbilisi, Georgia, connected June 24, 2025 [Mariam Nikuradze/AP Photo]

After Georgian Dream claimed triumph successful a contested predetermination successful October, the European Union campaigner federation experienced wide protests.

Critics impeach the authorities of undermining ideology and of bringing the state adjacent to Moscow, allegations the governing enactment denies.

The EU has said immoderate 80 percent of the colonisation supports Georgia’s bid to articulation the bloc, a committedness enshrined successful its constitution.

Amid allegations of antiauthoritarian backsliding, the United States and respective European countries person sanctioned immoderate Georgian authorities officials.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies