Tue Jul 01 11:40:38 UTC 2025: **Tbilisi Court Jails Opposition Leader, Sparks International Outcry**
**TBILISI, GEORGIA** – A Tbilisi court has sentenced Nika Gvaramia, a prominent opposition figure and co-leader of the Akhali party, to eight months in prison, escalating concerns about a crackdown on dissent in Georgia. Gvaramia was also barred from holding public office for two years.
The sentence, handed down Tuesday, stems from Gvaramia’s refusal to cooperate with a parliamentary commission investigating alleged wrongdoing under former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili, a pro-Western reformer, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Gvaramia’s case follows the recent jailing of other opposition leaders, including Giorgi Vashadze, further fueling accusations that the ruling Georgian Dream party is suppressing democracy.
“The verdict against my client is unlawful and part of the government’s attempt to crush all dissent in Georgia,” said Gvaramia’s lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili.
The sentencing has triggered strong condemnation from international actors. The British government summoned Georgia’s charge d’affaires on Monday, denouncing the crackdown and warning of further action if Georgia fails to uphold democratic principles.
“The imprisonment of prominent opposition leaders is the latest attempt by the Georgian government to crack down on freedoms and stifle dissent,” stated the UK Foreign Office.
Amnesty International has also voiced “serious concerns over the misuse of legislative, policing and other powers to silence government critics in Georgia,” specifically targeting the parliamentary commission as a tool for political persecution.
These developments come amid ongoing protests following a disputed election last year. Critics accuse the Georgian Dream party of undermining democracy and aligning the country closer to Moscow, allegations the party denies.
The EU, where a majority of Georgians support integration, has voiced concerns, and several nations have sanctioned Georgian government officials amid allegations of democratic backsliding.
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