EU spokesperson: "Georgian Dream must stop weaponising justice system"

The European Union has strongly condemned the recent arrests of opposition leaders in Georgia, calling them politically motivated and a serious breach of democratic norms.

In a post on X, EU spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated:

“Georgia: The politically motivated persecution & arrests of opposition leaders go against basic democratic values. These are authoritarian tactics, opposite of what is expected from an EU candidate country. Georgian Dream must stop weaponising the justice system.”

The statement comes after a wave of arrests targeting prominent opposition figures, all of whom were prosecuted for failing to appear before a controversial parliamentary investigative commission set up by the ruling Georgian Dream party. Some were arrested for refusing to pay bail related to the same charge.

On June 24, Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, was sentenced to seven months in prison and immediately taken into custody.
On June 23, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, leaders of Lelo for Georgia, were each sentenced to eight months in prison.
Earlier, on May 22, Zurab "Girchi" Japaridze was detained and later sentenced to seven months, after refusing to pay bail.

All four have also been banned from holding public office for two years.

Other opposition figures — Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, and Irakli Okruashvili — are facing charges under the same provision, but verdicts have not yet been announced.

The arrests have sparked outrage among Georgian civil society and international observers, who view the move as part of a broader crackdown on dissent amid the country’s ongoing bid for EU membership.