Georgian extremist group Alt Info to register new political party

The Georgian far-right, homophobic, and pro-Russian extremist group Alt Info has begun the procedures for registering a new political party, Conservatives for Georgia. Their last party, known as the Conservative Movement, was de-registered in April 2024 following an apparent falling out with the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The group filed their application on Thursday, according to Georgia’s Public Registry, which has accepted it for consideration.

According to the published document, the applicant was Giorgi Kardava, one of the leaders of Alt Info.

Another Alt Info leader, Konstantine Morgoshia, told RFE/RL that they were forming Conservatives for Georgia due to ‘the demand of the people and our supporters to […] continue the party’s activities’.

‘We took Georgian Dream’s charter, or [...] let’s say, with copy-paste and semicolons, […] and submitted it to the [public registry]’, he said.

Since its political wing was founded in 2021, Alt Info had the apparent support of the government, with the authorities declining to prosecute the group’s leaders for directing violent attacks against journalists and activists.

However, rumours of a rift between the government and Alt Info emerged in early 2023, with the authorities de-registering the Conservative Movement as a party in April, barring them from running the October 2024 parliamentary elections.

The group then announced they had reached an agreement with another far-right party, Georgian Idea, to run on their list. In late April, however, Alt Info said Georgia’s Public Registry had also moved to deregister Georgian Idea.

Alt Info then announced they would run through the electoral list of the Alliance of Patriots.

Georgian far-right group ‘gifted’ new political party after being de-registered

The Georgian far-right group Alt Info has announced they have been given control of a previously unaffiliated far-right political party, a week after the authorities de-registered their own political wing. Several thousand supporters of Alt Info gathered outside the ruling Georgian Dream party’s o…

OC MediaMariam Nikuradze

According to official results of Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), they received only 2.4% in October’s parliamentary elections.

Morgoshia confirmed to RFE/RL that Conservatives for Georgia intends to participate in future elections — whether repeated parliamentary elections or local elections.

For more than 90 days, thousands of people have been protesting across Georgia demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of those detained during the demonstrations and clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers.

Georgia’s Alt Info to run in elections with Alliance of Patriots

The Georgian pro-Russian and far-right group, Alt Info, has announced they will run in the October parliamentary elections through the electoral list of the Alliance of Patriots — circumventing the authorities’ de-registering of their own political wing. Zurab Makhardze, one of Alt Info’s leade…

OC MediaOC Media

In September 2024, the US Department of Treasury sanctioned Alt Info’s co-founders, Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze.

The group is best known for organising the July 2021 homophobic riots and mass attacks on the media, during which over 50 journalists were injured, one of whom died six days later. During the day-long violence, police took almost no action to prevent the attacks. The leaders of Alt Info, who publicly organised and directed the violence, did not face charges.

Georgia’s ongoing epidemic of homophobic street violence

Since the thwarting of the 5 July ‘March of Dignity’ by far-right mobs, the queer community has lost their sense of security in Georgia, and attacks on members of the queer community, or on those who attackers assume to be queer, have grown in number. On 9 July, Giorgi [not his real name], his bo…

OC MediaTata Shoshiashvili