Georgia has sentenced prominent opposition figure Nika Gvaramia to eight months in prison, marking another move in the ongoing crackdown on politicians, activists, and journalists critical of the ruling party. The decision was made on Tuesday by a court in Tbilisi.
The country, which is seeking to join the European Union, has been embroiled in political turmoil since last October’s disputed parliamentary elections. The ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory, sparking widespread protests. Critics accuse the government of drifting toward authoritarianism and moving closer to Moscow allegations the government firmly denies.
Gvaramia, who is the co-leader of the opposition Akhali party, was sentenced for refusing to cooperate with a parliamentary commission investigating alleged abuses during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently serving a 12-and-a-half-year prison sentence on charges widely condemned by rights groups as politically motivated.
His lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili, told AFP that the verdict was unlawful and part of a broader effort by the government to silence dissent. Gvaramia’s sentence also includes a two-year ban on holding public office.
This month, nearly all opposition leaders have been jailed on similar charges, intensifying concerns over the state of democracy in Georgia. Opposition figures have dismissed the commission’s legitimacy, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of using it as a tool to suppress political opposition and dissent.
+ There are no comments
Add yours