Latest news with #GeorgianDreamgovernment
Civil.ge
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Latvia Sanctions Another 55 Georgian Citizens
Latvia has imposed entry bans on 55 additional Georgian citizens, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said on July 14. 'I have included 55 Georgian citizens on Latvia's persona non grata list, imposing a ban on their entry into Latvia. This decision was made in accordance with Section 61(2) of the Immigration Law,' Braže said on social media. The individuals' identities have not been disclosed. Latvia joins Lithuania and Estonia in sanctioning an extensive group of Georgian officials and other individuals amid the EU's ongoing struggle to adopt broader measures, which require the unanimous support of all member states. On April 15, Lithuania disclosed a list of 102 sanctioned individuals, which included senior members of the Georgian Dream government, GD MPs, Interior Ministry officials, and judges. Also Read: This post is also available in: ქართული
Civil.ge
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Amb. Dunnigan Urges Vigilance, Praises U.S.-Georgia Ties in Farewell Speech
U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan used her final Independence Day address in Georgia to deliver a pointed message about the state of democracy, warning against the imprisonment of political opponents and praising the enduring friendship between the American and Georgian people. Speaking at a July 2 reception in Tbilisi, Dunnigan described democracy as relying on 'promise, duty, and optimism,' while raising alarm over recent developments in Georgia that, she warned, threaten core democratic values. 'There are many others who are paying a price today for defending democracy,' she said, and added, apparently referring to the Georgian Dream government's rhetoric: 'There are citizens who are jailed because they are political opponents of the government. There are civil society representatives who are being targeted for their work to promote the rule of law, free media, and free and fair elections. And there are ordinary citizens who are being labeled 'radical' because their views differ from government officials.' Dunnigan also invoked a quote from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, stating that democratic mandates 'cannot be achieved by censoring or imprisoning opponents,' just as several opposition politicians were sentenced for failure to fully cooperate with the Tsulukiani Commission . The ambassador's speech comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tbilisi over concerns about democratic backsliding, repression of civil society, and increasingly anti-Western rhetoric by ruling party officials. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act , a bipartisan bill calling for targeted sanctions on GD officials accused of undermining democratic norms. In response, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sent an open letter to President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance, dismissing the bill as 'absurd' and 'hostile' toward the Georgian people and their 'democratically elected' government. The letter voiced frustration over what the ruling party views as a lack of recognition for its attempts to 'reset' ties with the United States. Amid this political backdrop, Dunnigan used her final official speech as ambassador to reiterate the strength of the U.S.-Georgia partnership, which she said is built on shared democratic values and decades of cooperation. 'I have heard some say that the U.S.-Georgian partnership is a partnership in name only. I think we all know this is not true,' she said. 'Americans and Georgians have been true partners in our quest for democracy for over three decades.' In her closing remarks, she expressed deep appreciation for the Georgian people and confidence in the country's democratic future. 'I am optimistic because I know the vast majority of Americans and Georgians believe in the promise of our democracy and our duty to defend it,' she said. 'I will leave a piece of my heart behind when I depart. And I will never stop believing in and supporting the future of democracy in Georgia.' Dunnigan announced her retirement on June 5, describing it as a personal decision after more than 33 years of diplomatic service . Also Read:
Civil.ge
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Georgian Dream Grants Interior Ministry Authority to Inspect Foreigners' Homes, Workplaces
Georgia's Interior Ministry has been granted authority to inspect foreigners' homes and workplaces and enter private property, as the ruling Georgian Dream government tightens immigration rules and escalates rhetoric against illegal migration. Legislative amendments to the country's Law on Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, adopted on July 2 after accelerated deliberations during two days of extraordinary sessions in the GD parliament, empower a MIA–authorized body to carry out such inspections 'with the aim to expose foreigners residing in Georgia without legal grounds or/and to check the living place of foreigners or their travel documents.' Over the past week, the Interior Ministry reported detaining 20 foreigners in two 'special immigration control activities.' All have been slated for expulsion from the country. GD MP Tornike Cheishvili said before the vote that, according to the latest Interior Ministry data, 525 foreigners were expelled from Georgia in the first six months of 2025 for living in the country illegally. He claimed the figure is about three times higher than during the same period last year. Under the new rules, inspections may be conducted based on a city court order or with the consent of the property owner or employer. However, in 'urgent cases,' when 'a delay may result in a foreigner hiding away or destroying or hiding a travel document,' inspections may proceed without a court order, provided one is obtained within 24 hours afterward. The authorized body is permitted to 'question individuals, verify their identities, conduct superficial inspections, and carry out other preventive and coercive measures provided under Georgian legislation,' the bill states. At workplaces, inspectors may request documents proving a foreigner's legal right to work in Georgia. 'The fight against illegal migration and its prevention are important challenges related to the country's security, public order, and regulation of the job market,' the bill's explanatory note states, citing the need to 'refine procedures' for identifying illegal migrants as the reason for the changes. Earlier on June 26, the GD parliament adopted a legislative package that introduced expulsion and reentry bans for criminal and administrative offenses and increased fines for immigration-related violations, among other changes. Also Read This post is also available in: ქართული
Civil.ge
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
'Stand Up Georgia': Protesters Hold Ground on Day 214 of Unrest
Crowds gathered on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue on Day 214 of non-stop Georgian resistance to protest continued repression by the Georgian Dream government. Various speakers addressed the rally, including Georgia's fifth president Salome Zurabishvili, activists, students, and family members of detained protesters. The rally comes as authorities intensify crackdown on dissent, jailing several opposition leaders and activists over the past weeks. Dozens remain in jail on criminal charges believed to be politically motivated, and several protesters have been already sentenced to years in prison. 'Unity is the plan,' Zurabishvili told the public, congratulating them on seven months of protests to which 'they could not do anything' and which 'they could not disperse.' Also Read:
Al Jazeera
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Georgia court hands ex-President Saakashvili further 4.5 years in prison
A Georgian court has sentenced former President Mikheil Saakashvili to four and a half years behind bars for illegally crossing the border. Monday's ruling followed on the heels of a nine-year sentence imposed on Saakashvili last Wednesday and raises the already jailed pro-Western politician's time behind bars to 12 and a half years. Opposition groups insist that the sentences are politically motivated and that the Georgian Dream government, which is accused of abusing democracy and pulling Georgia back towards Russia, is scared of Saakashvili. After being sentenced while out of the country to six years for abuse of power, Saakashvili was first jailed when he returned to Georgia in 2021. Last week, he received nine years for misspending public funds from 2009 to 2012, when he was head of state. On Monday, he received another four years and six months 'for illegally crossing Georgia's border' when he covertly returned from exile in Ukraine, lawyer Dito Sadzaglishvili told the AFP news agency. 'Taking into account the combination of sentences, Mikheil Saakashvili's overall prison term is set at 12 years and six months,' said Judge Mikheil Jinjolia. Saakashvili and opposition groups have denounced his ongoing prosecution as politically motivated. Following last week's sentencing, the former president took to social media to accuse the authorities of engineering the verdict to keep him from mounting a political challenge. 'It was clear from the very beginning that the case was purely political,' he wrote on X, accusing the country's de facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of Georgian Dream, of ordering his conviction. The United National Movement (UNM) party, previously led by Saakashvili, accused Georgian courts of 'carrying out the orders of the regime, which uses the judiciary to silence opponents'. Western concern A deeply polarising figure, Saakashvili rose to power on a tide of popular acclaim in the 2003 Rose Revolution. In office, he reoriented Georgia towards the West and embarked on an ambitious public sector reform programme that delivered rapid improvements in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million. However, the latter part of his tenure was marked by police brutality and a disastrous 2008 war with Russia. Reacting to Monday's verdict, Saakashvili accused Georgia's 'pro-Russian regime' of 'cynically punishing' him for 'refusing to surrender Georgia' during Russia's 2008 aggression. The European Parliament, which has condemned Georgian Dream's crackdown on ongoing protests over claims of election meddling and policies perceived as a threat to democracy, has called for Saakashvili's immediate release. The European Union and the United States have urged Georgia to ensure that Saakashvili is provided with medical treatment and that his rights are protected. The Council of Europe rights watchdog has branded him a 'political prisoner', while Amnesty International has called his treatment an 'apparent political revenge'.
