BREAKING: The Rising Threat of Authoritarianism in Georgia

One of the most important pillars of democracy is the right of people to peacefully gather and protest the actions of their government or third parties. Georgians have always been known for expressing their frustrations or unhappiness through peaceful demonstration. But the ability to freely express oneself in Georgia appears to be fading. However, appearances can be and often are misleading, but the issue still merits concern.

Police charge peaceful protesters with crimes they have not committed, and the government singles out and targets individuals perceived hostile towards the state. To highlight these issues, a group of peaceful protesters appeared outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi on June 2, 2023, and attempted to engage in peaceful protest.

However, according to eyewitnesses, the police began assaulting the protesters to the point several of those peacefully demonstrating were left in need of medical care. Additionally, between 7-10 other the activists were arrested under Article 166 of the State Legislative Code, which refers to petty hooliganism. Those arrested included at least two lawyers, one of whom is the defense lawyer of Beka Grigoriadis, who was detained by the police one day earlier while protesting the detention of his son, Lazare Grigoriadis.

Of those who were arrested, one was holding a blank piece of paper, while another had a banner with ‘Iraq’ written on it. International and local organizations have released joint and individual statements condemning the actions of the government and police and their ‘Russian style’ intimidation of peaceful protestors. But the Ministry of Interior has given no comment.

This type of authoritarianism is deeply concerning, as it undermines the rule of law. Perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates a continuing pattern of blatant disregard for the Constitution of Georgia and the rights it guarantees individuals to gather and protest.

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