Georgia’s Crackdown on Protests Reveals Alarming Shift Toward Authoritarianism

For nearly a year, Georgian citizens like civics teacher Gota Chanturia have faced relentless government repression simply for exercising their fundamental right to peaceful protest. Despite enduring mass arrests, police brutality, and staggering fines totaling over $100,000—ten times the average annual income—Chanturia and thousands of others persist in standing up against their government’s increasingly heavy-handed tactics. Is Georgia Sliding Toward Authoritarian Rule? Once a beacon of post-Soviet democratic progress in the South Caucasus, Georgia is now witnessing a disturbing transformation reminiscent of its powerful neighbor Russia. Following allegations of electoral fraud and a sudden halt to EU accession talks, the...