A New Wave of Repression

By Malkhaz Matsaberidze

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

In response to mass protests that have engulfed not only Tbilisi but all of Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream government is resorting to force. On the seventh day of protests, they launched a new wave of repression, beginning searches of political party offices and arrests of politicians and civilians. Bidzina Ivanishvili remains focused on suppressing the protests, with law enforcement agencies loyally serving him.

The protests began on November 28 after Irakli Kobakhidze announced Georgian Dream's decision to halt the EU accession process until 2028, claiming that Georgia will join the EU by 2030 "on its own terms and with dignity." This came after the EU refused to recognize the results of the October 26 elections and ruled out negotiations with Georgia regarding EU membership. Kobakhidze's statement clearly signaled a shift in Georgia's foreign policy course.

The main demand of the protests is simple: to hold new parliamentary elections in Georgia according to democratic standards. However, Georgian Dream has already activated a one-party parliament and refuses to compromise. The standoff between the opposing sides has turned into a test of endurance. Law enforcement officers, acting on orders from Georgian Dream, brutally beat protesters, shielded by masks and lacking identification numbers, making accountability impossible.

Protesters responded to police violence by participating in protests equipped with helmets and gas masks, using New Year fireworks against the police. In response, the government restricted the import of gas masks and sealed warehouses storing fireworks. Protesters are intercepted on their way to demonstrations and stripped of their gas masks.

The Constitutional Court could have theoretically de-escalated the violence and returned the situation to a legal framework by considering the case filed by President Zurabishvili and opposition parties, which challenged the legitimacy of the October 26 elections. If the elections were declared fraudulent, new parliamentary elections would have been scheduled. However, hopes that the Constitutional Court would rule against the Georgian Dream were unrealistic. After long deliberation, the court dismissed the case on December 3, without ruling on the fairness of the elections.

On December 4, police raided several opposition party offices, seizing belongings and arresting several opposition figures, including Nika Gvaramia. Irakli Kobakhidze described the operation as preventive and threatened the opposition and NGOs, accusing them of being responsible for recent events. Kobakhidze also claimed that there was no "use of excessive force" by the police and argued that Georgian police operate under much higher standards than American and European forces.

The raid on opposition party offices indicates that Georgian Dream intends to frame the ongoing protest wave as another attempt at a "government overthrow," supposedly orchestrated by the "Global War Party."

How should the situation in Georgia be assessed? This is no longer merely "a setback for democracy," as it is sometimes mildly described. Stronger and more critical evaluations have emerged. The current ruling power is "dragging Georgia toward a Russian-style autocracy," stated U.S. Senators Ben Cardin, Roger Wicker, and John Cornyn in a statement issued on December 3 by the U.S. Helsinki Commission. President Salome Zurabishvili described it as a "Russian puppet regime." "We are witnessing a transition to an authoritarian regime's dictatorship phase. The usurpation of power is taking place on a full-scale and comprehensive level," Nika Gvaramia declared shortly before his arrest. According to the opposition, Georgian Dream initiated a constitutional coup by rigging the October 26 elections. No legitimate institutions remain in the country except for the presidency, though Salome Zurabishvili's term ends in late December.

Russian officials have occasionally expressed approval of Georgian Dream's actions. Russia's President Vladimir Putin personally praised the decision to halt EU negotiations, while Russian politicians have openly called for increased repression from the Georgian Dream. However, at times, they seem nervous that the Georgian Dream might lose its grip on power. Russian State Duma deputy Leonid Kalashnikov stated, "If the West intensifies unrest in Georgia, Russia is ready to help Georgians with troops against the barbarians."

A Russian provocation was suspected when rumors surfaced that the Georgian Legion fighting in Ukraine was planning to return to Georgia and join the protests. The Georgian Legion categorically denied this. This Russian provocation seemed aimed at creating a pretext for deploying Russian military forces to Georgia. President Salome Zurabishvili responded: "The only war is the one Georgian Dream has started against the Georgian people," she declared.