Tbilisi’s Power Play: Former PM in the Crosshairs Amid Crackdown

Political tensions in Georgia are escalating dramatically as the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies pressure on its opponents ahead of crucial municipal elections. Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, now a leading opposition figure, finds himself a primary target, fearing a return to his homeland amid threats of criminal prosecution for events that occurred years ago when he was a key government ally.

The situation has drawn sharp condemnation from a coalition of 17 European nations, including the UK, France, and Germany. In a joint letter, their foreign ministers criticized the politically motivated imprisonment of opposition leaders and the arbitrary arrests of government critics, warning that these actions are eroding democracy and pushing Georgia toward authoritarianism. In a defiant response, Georgian Dream’s political council dismissed the letter as an “unjust attack on the Georgian people and democracy,” accusing the signatories of spreading “Soviet-style disinformation.”

At the center of the controversy is the sudden revival of an investigation into the violent 2019 protest crackdown known as “Gavrilov’s Night.” The mass demonstrations were sparked by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the speaker’s chair of the Georgian parliament. The police response, overseen by Gakharia as Interior Minister, was exceptionally harsh, resulting in over 270 injuries, with several protesters losing an eye to rubber bullets. Ironically, just months after the crackdown, Georgian Dream promoted Gakharia to the post of Prime Minister, hailing him as a strong leader who upheld order.

Gakharia’s tenure as prime minister lasted only a year and a half. He resigned in 2021 after refusing an order to arrest another opposition leader, Nika Melia. He subsequently formed his own party, For Georgia, which secured 7.76% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Now, as his party prepares for the October municipal elections, the government he once led is using the 2019 events, which it previously praised, as a potential basis for his arrest.

Currently abroad, Gakharia faces a politically charged legal battle. Observers believe the pressure is a targeted effort to neutralize a significant political rival. Political analyst Nika Chitadze suggests the move is orchestrated by Georgian Dream’s influential founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, as personal revenge for Gakharia’s 2021 defection. The strategy appears to be a part of a broader campaign to discredit the entire opposition, block strong candidates from participating in elections, and ultimately consolidate the ruling party’s grip on power.