Georgia Accuses Opposition, Ukraine of Coup Plot Amid Political Purge

Georgian authorities have launched a criminal investigation against former President Mikheil Saakashvili and seven prominent opposition leaders, leveling serious charges of “crimes against the state.” Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze alleges their involvement in sabotage, aiding a foreign state with hostile intentions, funding anti-constitutional activities, and inciting a coup d’état, reportedly in the interests of Ukraine. This move is widely seen as a concerted effort by the ruling Georgian Dream party to neutralize its political adversaries.

While the government formally distances itself from the crackdown, the criminal proceedings were initiated following an appeal from “United Neutral Georgia,” a newly formed political entity that enjoys the full backing of the Georgian Dream. This organization is a staunch opponent of Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO, aligning with the ruling party’s increasingly anti-Western rhetoric.

Beyond Saakashvili, who has been imprisoned since his return to Georgia from Ukraine in 2021, the charges extend to a broad spectrum of opposition figures. These include Giorgi Vashadze of “Strategy Aghmashenebeli,” Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia leading the “For Changes” coalition, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze from “Lelo,” and Zurab Japaridze of “Girchi – More Freedom,” as well as Elene Khoshtaria of “Droa.” Most of these leaders were already detained last spring, prior to the latest charges.

Currently, only Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze remain at liberty, though a court has ordered them to post bail of 1 million Lari (approximately $370,000 USD) each. Failure to meet this demand would see them join their alleged co-conspirators behind bars. Badri Japaridze has vehemently condemned the accusations, stating, “This is the best example of a crackdown on political opponents, where there is no evidence or witnesses to confirm the outrageous charges against Khazaradze and me personally. The Prosecutor’s Office seems to have outdone itself.”

If convicted, Khoshtaria, Vashadze, and Zurab Japaridze face up to 15 years in prison, Saakashvili up to three years, and others up to four. Prosecutor Gvarakidze claims that after the opposition parties’ defeat in the autumn 2024 parliamentary elections, they began to “take to the streets under the pretext of fraud to radicalize the process,” publicly calling for revolution, the overthrow of the government, picketing state buildings, and physical confrontations with law enforcement. Saakashvili, despite his confinement, is accused of mobilizing “aggressive masses” via social media and during court appearances, while the other defendants allegedly coordinated the collection and supply of financial and material resources for the protests.

Further escalating the allegations, Gvarakidze asserted that Khoshtaria, Zurab Japaridze, and Vashadze actively lobbied Western countries for sanctions against Georgian government officials. The prosecution claims that roughly 300 Georgian citizens were blacklisted based on “information and documentary materials” allegedly provided by the opposition to “representatives of foreign states.” As evidence, authorities presented recordings of the opposition leaders’ speeches at rallies.

Prosecutor Archil Tkeshelashvili elaborated on the alleged foreign involvement, stating that the opposition acted at the behest of certain “interest groups in Ukraine.” He claimed, “The point is that interest groups operating in Ukraine instructed them to collect and disseminate false information and narratives, as if the Georgian state was violating sanctions, and Georgia was receiving prohibited goods, and also that Georgian airspace was allegedly used to receive combat drones for Russia. This information was false and fabricated, and they purposefully collected and disseminated it. Their goal was to use these illegal and criminal methods to change the legally elected government and bring to power a government loyal to them.”

It is noteworthy that this is not the first instance where Georgian authorities have accused Ukraine of involvement in alleged coup attempts or terrorist acts. However, in each case, it has been Georgian opposition figures, rather than official Kyiv, who have faced the repercussions. Political analyst Gia Abashidze, speaking to “NG,” suggested that “Georgian authorities know the difficult situation the Ukrainian people are in and do not want to exacerbate the situation further. At the same time, ‘Georgian Dream’ is waiting for people to come to power in Kyiv with whom it will be easier to find common ground. After that, Tbilisi will express everything it thinks about the regime of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”

Conversely, political analyst Nika Chitadze believes that the accusations against Ukraine merely serve as a pretext for domestic political repression within Georgia. “The government feels its support rating is falling, so it does not want to release opposition leaders and tries to ban their organizations. The weaker the position of ‘Georgian Dream’ becomes, the stronger its pressure on its opponents will be,” Chitadze explained to “NG.” This ongoing saga underscores the deepening political polarization and the high stakes involved in Georgia’s internal power struggles.