Georgia’s Authoritarian Crackdown: Opposition Leaders Jailed Amidst Election Disputes

Georgia is witnessing a disturbing escalation in political repression as its ruling Georgian Dream party imprisons key opposition figures following last October’s disputed parliamentary elections. Within days, four prominent critics of the ruling regime were sentenced to months behind bars for refusing to participate in what many see as a sham parliamentary inquiry targeting opponents tied to former President Mikhail Saakashvili. This sweeping crackdown has resulted in nearly all major pro-Western opposition leaders being jailed or detained. Their crime? Standing firm against alleged electoral fraud and opposing the Georgian Dream faction’s abrupt decision to shelve Georgia’s bid to join the...