Amnesty International condemns “broader crackdown” on opposition in Georgia

Amnesty International has criticized the Georgian government following the sentencing of former lawmaker Giorgi (Givi) Targamadze to seven months in prison, calling the ruling a further escalation in a “broader crackdown” on dissent in the country.

Targamadze, who refused to recognize the legitimacy of Georgia’s current parliament and declined to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission, is the latest opposition figure to face jail time under what Amnesty describes as a politically motivated campaign.

“Summoning opposition figures before a parliamentary commission and arresting and imprisoning them for refusing to recognize its legitimacy raises serious concerns over the misuse of legislative, policing and other powers to silence government critics in Georgia,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

He stressed that the commission, established by the ruling Georgian Dream party to investigate past crimes under the previous United National Movement (UNM) government, has instead become a “tool of political repression, not of parliamentary scrutiny,” particularly as local elections approach.

According to Amnesty, Targamadze is the eighth opposition politician to be arrested and the fifth to be sentenced under similar charges in recent weeks. Others include Giorgi Vashadze and Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, both sentenced to seven months, as well as Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, who received eight-month prison terms. All five have also been barred from holding public office for two years.

Three additional opposition figures—Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, and Irakli Okruashvili—remain in detention, facing trial on similar charges stemming from their refusal to participate in the parliamentary investigation process.

Under Georgian law, failure to comply with a parliamentary commission may be punished with up to one year in prison or a fine. However, courts have so far imposed prison terms exclusively, raising further concerns about the impartiality of the judiciary in these politically charged cases.

Amnesty has called on Georgian authorities to immediately release all detained opposition members and end what it describes as an ongoing campaign of repression. “Authorities must stop their relentless assault on dissent and targeting protesters and political activists for the peaceful exercise of their human rights,” Krivosheev said. “They must uphold Georgia’s international human rights obligations and ensure the protection of fundamental freedoms for all.”