The political crisis in Georgia escalated further on Tuesday as a court in Tbilisi sentenced opposition figure Giorgi Vashadze to seven months in prison, intensifying fears of democratic backsliding under the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Vashadze, a former deputy justice minister and leader of the Strategy Builder party, was convicted of refusing to cooperate with a state commission investigating alleged abuses by the previous government. The opposition, however, maintains the commission is a political tool used to silence dissent.

The court also issued a two-year ban preventing Vashadze from holding public office. His sentencing follows similar rulings against three other pro-European opposition leaders, raising concerns that the majority of the country's democratic opposition has now been sidelined or imprisoned.

Before the ruling, Vashadze denounced the proceedings as politically motivated.

His comments reflect growing anger among opposition ranks, who accuse the ruling party of dismantling Georgia’s democratic institutions and aligning the country more closely with Moscow — despite its citizens' overwhelming pro-European sentiment.

Vashadze’s party is part of a coalition that finished third in the country’s disputed 2023 parliamentary elections, which opposition groups continue to reject due to widespread claims of vote-rigging and foreign interference.

The court’s decision is the latest in a pattern that critics say mirrors the government’s treatment of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, now serving a 12.5-year prison sentence on charges widely condemned as politically driven by rights groups and international observers.

The growing list of jailed political figures paints a bleak picture for Georgia’s democratic future and its once-promising bid to join the European Union.

Mass anti-government protests have rocked Tbilisi and other parts of the country for over 200 consecutive days, though turnout has diminished in recent weeks amid intensified repression.

Tensions flared again Monday night when Zviad Ratiani, one of Georgia’s most prominent poets and a vocal critic of the regime, was arrested during a demonstration outside parliament. He is accused of assaulting a police officer — a charge that carries up to seven years in prison.

Ratiani, previously arrested during protests last year, reportedly sustained serious injuries in police custody at the time, drawing condemnation from human rights groups.

International observers have raised alarms over the deteriorating political climate in Georgia, where democratic institutions appear increasingly fragile. The European Parliament previously rejected Georgia’s election results, citing “significant irregularities”, and in November, the Georgian government suspended talks on EU accession — a move that further alienated its pro-European population.

As the Georgian Dream party tightens its grip on power, the opposition is being squeezed out of political relevance, and civil liberties are facing unprecedented threats.


By WafricNews Desk.