TBILISI: Georgian prosecutors have charged five opposition leaders with attempting to overthrow the government following violent clashes between demonstrators and police in the capital on the weekend.
According to Reuters the charges come after weekend protests coincided with local elections boycotted by the largest opposition blocs. Officials said some demonstrators tried to storm the presidential palace before riot police dispersed them with tear gas and water cannon.
Authorities said the five men now face up to nine years in prison if convicted, describing the unrest as an “attempt to seize power.”
Protests over alleged authoritarian drift
Georgia, a South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million, has faced months of anti-government protests, with opposition supporters accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of authoritarianism and steering the country back toward Moscow’s orbit.
Demonstrations have waned in recent months but nightly gatherings still close Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue, a symbolic focal point of dissent, the news agency reported.
The ruling party has rejected accusations of backsliding, insisting it is committed to democracy and national stability.
Growing divide with the West
In October 2024, Georgian Dream secured a comfortable parliamentary victory, which the opposition denounced as fraudulent. The government insisted the polls were free and fair.
Relations with Western allies have since deteriorated. In November, Georgian Dream froze European Union accession talks, halting a long-standing goal that once united the country’s political spectrum.
The government argues it is not pro-Russian but seeks to balance ties, preserving peace with Moscow while defending Georgia’s Orthodox Christian values.
Power behind the scenes
The party is widely viewed as influenced by billionaire and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has been sanctioned by the United States for allegedly advancing Russian interests.
As political tensions mount, the government’s move to charge opposition leaders risks further polarising a country once hailed as a model of post-Soviet democracy.
