Opposition urges resistance to government ‘over children’s future’

A member of the Coalition for Change, Giorgi Kirtadze, has called on citizens to oppose the government, saying it was necessary to secure a better future for their children.

Kirtadze said that Elene Khoshtaria, the location member, was a political prisoner, claiming there was broad agreement both domestically and internationally regarding concerns over Georgia’s judicial process.

He criticised recent comments by government representatives suggesting that Khoshtaria should have considered her children before committing an offence, describing such statements as crossing “all limits”.

Kirtadze also accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of equating care for children with the accumulation of wealth, saying that, in his view, those detained for political reasons were acting in the interests of future generations.

Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for damaging an election banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. She has already served six months and is expected to be released in approximately one year.

Government representatives have rejected claims that she is a political prisoner, claiming that individuals must take responsibility for their actions under the law.