We continue our live coverage of the fallout and widespread protests that have come in the wake of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that Georgia would be halting its EU accession process.

We’re ending our live coverage for now, but will be back later for more from Georgia. You can read our reporting on how the anti-government protests have spread to the primarily Georgian-Azerbaijani city of Marneuli here. 

You can also listen to our latest episode of the Caucasus Digest podcast, and hear OC Media’s Robin Fabbro and Mariam Nikuradze talk about the spontaneous protest movement that has erupted since the government’s EU U-turn. 

As the free press in Georgia comes under attack, please consider becoming an OC Media member to help support our work.

Prosecutors office: nine people charged with organising and participating in group violence and preparing to set off explosion

The Prosecutor’s Office said on Thursday that nine people have been charged with organising and participating in group violence and preparing an explosion during the demonstrations.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the case concerns an incident that occurred during a rally on Rustaveli Avenue, during which the defendants allegedly participated in organised group violence. The Prosecutor’s Office did not specify when the incident supposedly occurred. 

‘An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs established that during the ongoing rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the defendants organised and participated in group violence, as a result of which several people suffered injuries. The property of both individuals and legal entities was damaged, and the infrastructure [...] of Tbilisi City Hall was damaged’, the statement read.

Around 100 Georgian musicians release manifesto declaring their refusal to participate in government events

About 100 Georgian musicians released a joint manifesto declaring that Georgian Dream is an illegitimate government, and emphasising their joint refusal to participate in government events. 

The manifesto also condemned the violence protesters at the hands of Interior Ministry personnel. 

‘Therefore, we, musicians, protest against the illegitimate government, we go on strike, and refuse to participate in any state events’.

Pro-government media TV Imedi says detained, beaten opposition leader Elisashvili left clinic

The pro-government media outlet TV Imedi reported that Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of opposition group Strong Georgia, left the Vivamedi clinic. Elisashvili was taken to the clinic earlier after allegedly being beaten in detention. 

Nino Nadiradze, the director of Vivamedi, told TV Imedi that Elisashvili was ‘discharged from the clinic, clinical-laboratory and instrumental examinations were conducted. No acute traumatic injury was observed. The head injury did not indicate an episode of loss of consciousness’.

When asked by a TV Imedi journalist if Elisashvili had any broken ribs, ‘Nadiradze noted that there was nothing like that’.

Earlier, media reported that Elisashvili’s condition had worsened while in the Dusheti pre-trial detention centre and he was subsequently transferred to the Vivamedi clinic.

Zourabichvili: Kobakhidze has to resign

Georgian President Salome Zourabichili said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze must resign in an interview with the Public Broadcaster on Thursday.

Zourabichvili said Kobakhidze ‘has failed to resolve the crisis’, only ‘knows how to threaten the people’, and should be replaced. She added that as president, she should call elections within two weeks after he resigns.

TV presenter Shota Dimitrishvili beaten and insulted after being detained at protest, lawyer says

Last night, TV presenter Shota Dimitrishvili was detained near the parliament of Georgia. He was placed under administrative detention and as his lawyer Juba Katamadze told Publika, Dimitrishvili was then transferred to the detention center.

Katamadze said Dimitrishvili had been beaten and insulted while in detention and that along with other detainees, he was taken to the head of the Special Tasks Department, Zviad Kharazishvili, commonly known as Khareba, who personally humiliated and insulted the detainees, including Dimitrishvili.

Dimitrishvili told Katamadze that Kharazishvili was recording the video.

Danish Ambassador: Denmark put bilateral assistance under full review’

Ambassador of Denmark in Georgia Anne Toft Sørensen posted on X that ‘Denmark put its bilateral assistance under full review [and] paused new programming [and] donations in June’.

In light of other countries’ announcements, reiterating several 🇩🇰 policies on 🇬🇪
⚪️No government meetings since March & the reintroduction of the law on foreign influence
⚪️ 🇩🇰 put its bilateral assistance under full review & paused new programming & donations in June…

— Anne Toft Sørensen (@DKAmbGeorgia) December 5, 2024

Batumelebi: group of sailors launch ‘campaign to protest from the sea’

According to Batumelebi, a group of Georgian sailors have ‘launched a campaign to protest from the sea’ against the Georgian government’s EU U-turn.

‘Today, when our country is facing great challenges, we Georgian sailors who are in different parts of the world cannot remain indifferent to everything that is happening in Georgia’, Batumelebi reported, citing their statement.

‘We suggest that we take photos or videos from the ships, holding banners, and share them on social media. In this way, we can join the ongoing protests in Georgia and express our civic position’.

Interior Ministry says five people detained on criminal charges during protests

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that five people have been arrested on charges of organising, leading, participating in, and publicly calling for violent acts in groups, local media reported. 

Among those arrested are actor Andro Chichinadze and stand-up comedian Onise Tskhadadze. One of the detained is a foreign citizen of an undisclosed country. 

If found guilty, the detainees could face up to nine years in prison.

‘During the ongoing protests on Rustaveli Avenue, the defendants did not obey and resisted the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and also actively participated in group violence and threw various objects at the police officers’, Formula reported, citing the agency's statement.

Law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, computer equipment, military clothing, and gas masks as evidence during the search of the defendants’ properties.

‘Also, within the framework of the ongoing investigation, a search was conducted in the residential apartments of four people in Tbilisi due to urgent necessity, from which the law enforcement officers seized firearms, a large amount of money, memory cards, and computer equipment’.

Public Defender: 191 out of 268 protesters visited in detention reported ill-treatment, including beatings

The Public Defender’s Office visited 268 protesters who were detained amid demonstrations in detention centers and clinics and reported that 191 of them said they had received ill-treatment by law enforcement officers. In addition, they note that 138 of them had visible injuries.

Mtavari Arkhi: about 50 employees have left Police Special Tasks Department since identities reportedly leaked

According to the opposition-aligned TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, ‘after the publication of the list of special forces [...] about 50 employees have left the Special Tasks Department’.

The department is responsible for overseeing riot police.

Yesterday, Mtavari Arkhi published a list containing the names and positions of police officers and riot police who have allegedly participated in the violent dispersals of protesters.

Police again searching bags of passengers leaving metro stations nearby protests 

Police stationed at Rustaveli and Liberty Square metro stations have continued searching passengers as they depart. The practice was also reported yesterday.

TV Pirveli reported that law enforcement officers have been opening passengers’ bags. They also asked for them to show their ID cards, and wrote down their names in notebooks, but stopped after the media showed up.

According to RFE/RL, a police officer told reporters that they were searching passengers ‘for preventive purposes and recording their data’.

Water cannons deployed on Liberty Square

According to local media, riot control vehicles equipped with water cannons have been deployed on Liberty Square.

This week on the Caucasus Digest: Georgia’s EU U-turn and spontaneous protests

OC Media’s Robin Fabbro and Mariam Nikuradze talk about the spontaneous protest movement which erupted after the Georgian government’s announcement that the country would ‘halt’ its EU integration. Mariam shares her experience covering the protests and details how the police injured her and damaged her cameras as she was covering their violent dispersal of the protests.

Clashes between demonstrators and police in Kutaisi result in injuries, detention of a minor

Two demonstrators were injured during clashes with police during an ongoing protest in front of Kutaisi City Hall against the government's EU U-turn, Netgazeti reported.

The local media outlet Info Imereti reported that one of the injured is a minor, and that he has been detained.

‘The protesters opposed the arrest of the minor, but he was forcibly removed from the perimeter and taken to a temporary detention center’, media reported.

The probable reason for the arrest, according to Info Imereti, is that the minor threw a firecracker in the direction of police officers.

Explainer | After a month of simmering protests, Georgia erupted: why now?

OC Media’s Nate Ostiller has spoken to Georgian experts about the government’s decision to halt the country’s EU membership bid and how it contributed to the creation of a spontaneous protest movement. Read the article here.

European Parliament lawmakers call for sanctions on Georgian authorities 

Four MEPs have condemned the Georgian authorities’ increasing repression of the democratic opposition and the use of force against peaceful protesters.

David McAllister, Nils Ušakovs, Sergey Lagodinsky, and Rasa Juknevičienė stated that they support President Salome Zourabichvili, who they say ‘remains a steadfast defender of democracy and European integration of Georgia’. 

‘Arrests of opponents and searches of offices are part of the toolbox of authoritarian regimes and have no place in a country with EU membership aspirations’, the lawmakers said in a statement. 

‘Georgian Dream is directly responsible for the continuous democratic backsliding and the dramatic shift of the country away from its European path, contrary to the will of the vast majority of the people’.

According to the lawmakers, the protests across the country are a ‘legitimate expression of the wide-spread concern about the future of Georgia under the current leadership’. 

The MEPs called on the EU and its member states to introduce personal sanctions against Georgian Dream’s political leaders ‘who are responsible for the reported election irregularities and subsequent repressions against Georgian citizens protesting on the streets’. 

The lawmakers  also recalled the demand to introduce targeted sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, who they say is the individual  ultimately politically responsible for the wave of repressions and the suspension of Georgia’s EU integration process.

Standup comic Onise Tskhadadze detained

According to local media, stand-up comedian Onise Tskhadadze was detained. Publika, citing a post from Tskhadadze’s brother, reported that he was detained in their house in Terjola.

Opposition party member Elisashvili reportedly hospitalised

According to activist Elene Kaikhosroshvili, Aleko Elisashvili, a member of the opposition  Strong Georgia party, has been transferred to the Vivamedi clinic.

‘He’s been beaten. His ribs are broken!’ she posted.

TV Pirveli reported that Elisashvili’s condition worsened in the Dusheti pre-trial detention centre. 

Elisashvili, who is an MP, was charged with attacking Ali Babayev, a Georgian Dream member. Elisashvili’s charges count as a criminal offence, meaning that he can get charged and prosecuted for them regardless of his status as MP.

He was violently detained yesterday in Tbilisi.

Rallies in Batumi and Zugdidi

According to Batumelebi, students striking against the government’s EU U-turn have started a rally in Batumi.

Mtavari Arkhi also reported that hundreds of people have gathered in Zugdidi to protest against the government's actions.

Rustaveli Avenue blocked by protesters

According to IPN, protesters are gathering on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament on the eighth consecutive day against the government's EU U-turn. The street has been blocked and police have been deployed on the side streets next to the parliament building.

Kaladze tells demonstrators to protest at EU embassy

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Mayor of Tbilisi, posted a video message on Facebook talking about the current demonstrations in the country and again called the EU to open negotiations on accession to the bloc.

‘If anyone really has any protest about this, go to the EU embassy, ​​protest and demand [...] they should make a decision on whether to open negotiations or not [...]. Go and protest in a civilised, democratic manner, not by throwing Molotov cocktails or insulting people’.

Mestia city employee says she was fired for attending protest

Tamuna Avalishvili, an employee of Mestia City Hall, posted on Facebook that Mayor Kakha Zhorzholiani fired her from her job for ‘taking part in the protest’.

‘The reason that was explained to me: I was at the rally for about half an hour during work hours’, she wrote.

Actor Andro Chichinadze reportedly detained

Local media has reported that Georgian actor Andro Chichinadze was allegedly detained in his house.

According to media reports, police initially conducted a search at Chichinadze’s house, after which law enforcement officers arrested him at his home. 

It is currently unknown under which article the actor has been arrested.

Opposition groups demand Ivanishvili release political prisoners and call for new elections

The four main opposition groups — Coalition for Change, Unity – National Movement, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia — have issued a joint statement making two key demands to address the ‘crisis’: the ‘immediate release of all unlawfully detained political prisoners from the protests, with all charges against them dropped,’ and ‘the scheduling of new elections to be overseen by a new, independent election administration under politically neutral law enforcement conditions.’

The statement was directed at Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party. 

Although Ivanishvili has not held an official government position since 2013, he is widely believed to exert unofficial but significant influence over key constitutional bodies in Georgia, including the government.

Strong Georgia leader Elisashvili charged with violent persecution over alleged attack on Georgian Dream member

The Prosecutor’s Office has announced that they have charged Strong Georgia leader Aleko Elisashvili with the violent persecution of a person based on their political activities. Elisashvili has been accused of attacking Georgian Dream member Ali Babayev in Tbilisi on 2 December. He was detained yesterday.

Ex-minister Kezerashvili and UNM’s Chikovani accuse authorities of targeting their flats 

Dimitri Chikkovani, Public Relations and Communications Secretary of the opposition party the United National Movement (UNM), has claimed that authorities are attempting to breach his flat in Tbilisi in order to conduct a search there. 

A similar statement was made by Chikovani's brother-in-law, Davit Kezerashvili, who also claimed  authorities had entered his flat in Tbilisi.

Kezerashvili, a former Georgian Defence Minister and founder of TV channel Formula, blamed the incident on the Georgian government’s ‘meltdown’ following the Strasbourg Court’s ruling on his case.

Earlier today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that the Georgian authorities violated Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial. The court rejected Kezerashvili’s other claims. The ruling stemmed from a criminal case in Georgia in which Kezerashvili was convicted of embezzlement. Both Kezerashvili and the Georgian government welcomed the ruling, with both claiming it vindicated their respective positions.

Interior Ministry rejects allegations of mass resignations

The Interior Ministry has denied claims that employees from various departments are resigning from the agency as a form of  political protest, labelling the information as false and saying it is aimed at discrediting the ministry and its staff.

Motorway blocked in western Georgia

Residents of the Jvari village in Georgia’s western Samegrelo region, Tsalenjikha Municipality, blocked the motorway leading north to the Svaneti region in support of the country’s EU bid.

The local residents had been holding rallies against Georgian Dream’s decision to ‘halt’ the EU membership efforts since its announcement a week ago. 

Protesters, who initially gathered near the local Justice House, marched on the motorway holding Georgian and EU flags. 

Actors protest while on strike at Rustaveli National Theatre in Tbilisi

A group of Georgian artists and their supporters gathered outside the Rustaveli National Theatre in Tbilisi to protest the government's anti-EU turn and police violence against street demonstrations. 

Some attempted to enter the theatre building but were blocked by police. 

Meanwhile, the Theatre’s Director, Robert Sturua, expressed opposition to involving the Theatre in politics via a statement on its Facebook page.

After not being let into the Theatre, protesters moved to Rustaveli Avenue to march towards the Parliament building, blocking traffic.

Public Defender: police used disproportionate force while detaining Elisashvili

The Georgian Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, has confirmed that police officers used excessive force during the detention of one of the leaders of the opposition Strong Georgia group, Aleko Elisashvili, last night in Tbilisi. 

According to Ioseliani, Elisashvili has visible facial injuries, including bruises and scratches, and has also reported a back injury caused by police beatings. 

Ioseliani added that the case has been reported to the Special Investigation Service.

According to Ioseliani, his representatives have visited 260 individuals detained in various facilities across Georgia so far, with 188 of them alleging improper treatment by the police.

Calls for renewed protests at Public Broadcaster 

Lawyer Vakhushti Menabdze has urged others to renew protests at the Georgian Public Broadcaster in Tbilisi today at 19:00. 

According to Menabdze, the publicly owned TV station has decided to suspend its evening live broadcasts starting Friday, which had been hosting anti-government protesters daily in recent days at their request. 

Specialist in Georgian Parliament’s IT Department reportedly resigns

A LinkedIn profile under the name Aleksandre Dzadzamia, identifying as a Head Specialist in the Georgian Parliament’s IT Department, has shared his resignation document with the caption, ‘the voice of one’s conscience is the most important.’

Netherlands calls for EU to suspend visa-free arrangements with Georgia

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caspar Veldkamp, has welcomed the Baltic initiative to impose individual travel bans on Georgian officials, calling the violence against protesters and journalists, as well as the arrests of politicians, ‘unacceptable’. 

‘That is why the Netherlands will call on the EU to suspend its visa-free arrangements with Georgia,’ Veldkamp wrote on X. 

He added that he would raise the issue of using mechanisms in the OSCE toolbox during today’s OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Malta. 

Georgia downgraded to ‘obstructed’ civic space in latest CIVICUS report 

In the latest report from CIVICUS, a global organisation monitoring threats to civil society, Georgia’s ranking has been downgraded from ‘narrowed’ to ‘obstructed’ following an eight-point decline, from 62 to 54. Georgia now shares this category with 34 other countries.

‘This alarming change reflects repressive laws and actions stoking division, vilifying critics, civil society and marginalised communities and  threatening people’s rights to speak out and organise’, the group noted in their press release. 

President hails Ukraine sanctions while Prime Minister decries them as American conspiracy

'I could not say it better', Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said today, reacting to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s announcement of sanctions against Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and his associates. 

‘Russia is trying to get back the control over the Black Sea!’, Zourabichvili added. 

In contrast, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze argued that the Ukrainian authorities were ‘not independent in making such decisions’ and linked the move, along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement of ‘additional sanctions’ targeting the Georgian leadership, to the outgoing Biden administration, claiming they aimed to leave upcoming Trump administration with the ‘most difficult situation possible’ to deal with in the region. 

Kobakhidze also challenged Blinken’s description of the recent anti-government demonstrations in Georgia, asserting that they were not peaceful.

‘When we encounter such a scale of falsehood in the statement of the head of the State Department, it is, of course, extremely alarming. I sincerely hope that after 20 January, we will not see such falsehoods in any American statements.’

20 January is the expected date of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President.

International academics call for release of political prisoners in Georgia 

Over 30 international academics, including professors at Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and UC Berkeley, have signed an open letter urging the Georgian government ‘to immediately withdraw the special security forces who have systematically violated Georgian citizens’ civil rights’.

‘The unprecedented mass resistance to government policies among Georgian citizens in the country’s cities and towns has led to violent repression, including the systematic beating of journalists. On December 4, we witnessed the arrests of Georgian opposition leaders and civil society activists. This represents the government’s abandonment of democracy. It is a very dark day in Georgian history’, the letter read. 

‘Georgia’s political prisoners — as indeed they now are — must immediately be released and the rule of law restored. We appeal for a dialogue between government and opposition representatives and the restoration of peace and security on Georgia’s streets. This is the first step toward the restoration of Georgia’s European path and to the creation of a government that is both legitimate and democratic’, the letter read, noting that this process requires the rescinding of both the foreign agent law and the subsequent anti-queer legislation. 

Kobakhidze against pyrotechnics and ‘liberal fascism’

During today’s briefing, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze repeated claims that protest organisers had stockpiled fireworks to target police during demonstrations, citing a 90% surge in pyrotechnics sales last month compared to November of the previous year. OC Media was not able to immediately  verify these figures. 

Kobakhidze further alleged that the ‘violence’ ended during the street demonstrations last night as a result of his government retrieving ‘weapons of violence’ from political party offices earlier in the day.

[Read more: Georgian police begin raids on opposition parties and protest organisers] 

‘The myth that sincere young people were committing violence in the streets has been completely shattered,’ Kobakhidze stated, characterising the offices of ‘radical’ political groups and the ‘foreign funds’ supporting their ‘liberal fascism’ as a ‘source of violence.’

‘I want to particularly urge the parents of young people to keep their children away from all hubs of liberal fascism. For our part, we will ensure that such hubs are dismantled as much as possible in our country’, Kobakhidze said.

Major opposition groups announce ‘new information centre’

Today, four opposition groups — Coalition for Change, Unity — National Movement, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia — jointly announced the creation of a new ‘common information centre’ aimed at providing the public with continuous updates on significant developments and their commentary on them.

TSU students rally in support of detained activist 

A group of students gathered today outside the second building of Tbilisi State University (TSU) to express solidarity with Zviad Tsetskhladze, a fellow TSU law student detained yesterday reportedly on group violence charges.

Tsetskhladze, the founder of the youth activist group Dapioni, staged a sit-in at TSU last month, protesting the alleged presence of riot police on university grounds to disperse nearby protests.

Three detained, including one accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail

The Interior Ministry has announced the detention of three individuals on charges of group violence and assaulting a police officer, offences carrying sentences of up to nine years in prison. 

One of the detainees, identified by the initials A.K. and a date of birth in 1999, stands accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail.

TV channel Pirveli separately reported today that the authorities detained 25-year-old Anri Kvaratskhelia, a protest participant, this morning in Tbilisi. His lawyer stated that he may face charges of assaulting a police officer.

Pirveli quoted a family member present during the detention in the flat, who claimed that one of the law enforcement officers grabbed them by the throat and demanded they drop their phone after attempting to start a live broadcast on Facebook.

Publika has tentatively identified another detainee, S.S., as Saba Skhvitaridze, a protest organiser whose lawyer alleged he was assaulted by police while in custody.

The Ministry stated that ‘S.S. […] attacked an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a baton, causing a head injury’ during last night’s protest at Freedom Square.

NCDC: staff and management ‘full of corruption’

The official LinkedIn page of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has posted that their staff and management ‘are full of corruption and are silencing their voices against the ongoing process in Georgia’.

NCDC’s Deputy Director, Paata Imnadze, has reportedly declined to comment.

Protesters in Khashuri rally against the government 

A group of protesters gathered outside the City Hall of Khashuri, a central Georgian town and the centre of the namesake municipality, this morning to protest the ruling Georgian Dream party’s recent anti-EU decision. The local media outlet Qartli.ge was not let into the local assembly meeting held inside. 

One of the protest participants claimed Khashuri’s mayor, Tengiz Chitiashvili, called them ‘slaves’ upon entering the premises.

Yesterday, local Khashuri activists running an anonymous Facebook page alleged that State Security Service employees were calling the critics of the government in an attempt to ‘intimidate’ and ‘threaten them with fines’.

Anonymous declares cyber war on Georgia’s ‘illegitimate’ government

The international hacking group Anonymous has declared a ‘cyber war’ on Georgia’s ‘illegitimate government’. No details were provided on what tactics the group would take to conduct said war. 

🚨🇬🇪NEW: Anonymous declares cyber war on #Georgia's illegitimate government

⚡️Your oppressive regime, led by the Russia-backed faction Georgian Dream party and its figurehead Bidzina Ivanishvili, has betrayed the will of the people.

This ends now. Through #OpGeorgia, #Anonymous… pic.twitter.com/dYAo09jWPQ

— Anonymous TV 🇺🇦 (@YourAnonTV) December 4, 2024

Ukraine sanctions Ivanishvili and 18 of his associates

Ukraine has joined the three Baltic States in sanctioning Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. Announcing the decision today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated that the sanctions targeted Ivanishvili and ‘his 19 associates who are betraying the interests of Georgia and the Georgian people.’ He urged others to take a similarly ‘principled’ stance against the Georgian leadership.

We cannot afford to lose anyone in this region—not Georgia, not Moldova, not Ukraine. We must stand together to defend against Moscow. Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili and his associates—19 individuals who are selling out the interests of Georgia and its people.

Just… pic.twitter.com/viE1NsYayz

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 5, 2024

Media personality calls for accountability after identifying his brother in leaked list of accused officers

Giorgi Nazghaidze, a well-known media personality and host of the popular reality show Prime House, has apologised on behalf of his brother after finding his name in the leaked list of alleged masked riot police officers accused of using excessive force against protesters in recent days. 

‘Whether it’s my brother or any other member of my family, they must all be appropriately punished, and their photos and information should be made public’, Nazghaidze claimed. He additionally called on others to repeat his step in confirming the identities on the list if they happen to be relatives or close friends.

US to use all tools, ‘including additional sanctions’, to hold Georgian authorities accountable

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the US is ‘now preparing to use the tools at our disposal, including additional sanctions’ to hold those who ‘undermine democratic processes or institutions in Georgia’ to account. 

He emphasised that the US ‘strongly condemns’ the Georgian Dream party’s ‘brutal and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, and opposition figures’ and called on Georgian Dream to ‘cease its repressive tactics, including its use of arbitrary detention and physical violence, to attempt to silence its critics’.

‘Those detained for exercising their human rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression must be released immediately, and officials responsible for the unlawful use of force must be held fully accountable’, Blinken stated. 

US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller also posted on X early this morning, stating that the US condemns the violence by the ruling Georgian Dream party against Georgian citizens, and that the US will use the ‘tools at our disposal’ to promote accountability.

The U.S. strongly condemns Georgian Dream’s brutal and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens. We will use the tools at our disposal to promote accountability for those who seek to undermine Georgia’s democracy.

— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) December 5, 2024

Key events from yesterday:

• Georgian police conducted raids of the offices of opposition groups as well as the homes of individual protest organisers. 
• Several opposition leaders and figures were arrested including Coalition for Change leader Nika Gvaramia, who was hit in the stomach during the arrest, briefly losing consciousness; Strong Georgia member and MP Aleko Elisashvili, along with two other party members, Vepkhia Kasradze and Vaso Kadzelishvili; Ilia Ghlonti, the co-founder of the Facebook group Daitove; and Zviad Tsetskhladze, the founder of Dapioni, another group helping organise the protests.
• Police were seen violently searching and detaining people walking out of the Liberty Square Metro Station as thousands of people gathered on Rustaveli Avenue for a seventh night of protests.
• Irakli Shaishmelashvili, the head of the Operational Planning Division at the Special Tasks Department, resigned, also leaving the Interior Ministry.
• Giorgi Gvimradze, the director of the news and current affairs department of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, resigned. 
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi posted on Telegram saying that he gave ‘instructions to prepare appropriate sanctions decisions’ against the Georgian government.