Political Intimidation and Violence Resurging in Georgia: A Bold Step Back to Yesteryears
Fiery Calls and Violence:
Starting on May 6, a chilling phase began as unknown numbers flooded the phones of Georgian journalists, opposition politicians, and activists. The impetus? A disagreement over the controversial "foreign agents" draft law, a controversial piece of legislation that Girchi - More Freedom, an opposition party advocating for government deregulation and free-market economic policies, has been actively protesting against.
One of the first to receive these ominous calls was Tinatin Bolokadze, an officer in Girchi. A man warned her that if the protests persisted, they would face dire consequences. The threats escalated, with two party members even receiving death threats. On May 9, the violence became all too real when Boris Kurua, a party member, was brutally beaten outside his home, leaving him hospitalized.
Over the past week, Georgian opposition figures and journalists have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, and, in some cases, physical attacks. It seems that efforts are underway to suppress anti-government voices and discourage participation in mass protests against the "foreign agents" bill.
Interviews with three individuals who received multiple threatening calls reveal that the mystery callers share common perspectives with the government, painting the draft law as a necessary measure for transparency. If the recipient hangs up, another call usually follows from a different number.
Revaz Topuria, a lecturer at the University of Georgia and founder of the Franklin Club, a civil society organization, found the callers' prior knowledge of his anti-"foreign agents" activism particularly concerning. "Why are you trying to change and poison the minds of young people?" he was asked during one call. Topuria himself received over 18 calls between May 7 and May 9, while his father was awakened by a caller swearing at him, echoing a common experience among the targeted individuals.
Another activist reported receiving an astounding 37 calls and being threatened with death if he didn't cease helping organize the protests. His family also received similar calls, with one ominous message stating, "your son's casket will be at your home if I don’t stop."
The wave of attacks in Tbilisi on May 8 added to the chilling atmosphere. Dimitri Chikovani, head of public relations for the main opposition party, the United National Movement, along with Lasha Ghvinianidze, a demonstration organizer, and Gia Japaridze, a University of Georgia professor, were all assaulted in apparent coordinated attacks.
The phone calls and physical attacks have revived troubling echoes of Georgia's past, where parliamentary debate and peaceful resolution were far from the only means to settle disputes and power struggles. The early 1990s saw widespread violence in the newly independent country, while 2012, when the ruling Georgian Dream coalition came to power, was marked by the rough handling of anti-government protesters by the previously ruling United National Movement-led government.
Some compare the current situation to Ukraine's "titushky," thuggish individuals who aided state security services by instigating violence during the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests.
Kety Abashidze, a Tbilisi-based human rights lawyer, views the intimidation as a distressing sign of things to come if the "foreign agents" law is passed, which the Georgian Dream party appears poised to do despite promised presidential vetoes. Abashidze believes that the law will be used as a bludgeon to silence critics and ensure the ruling party's reelection this fall.
Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, in a rally on April 29, warned the main opposition party, "After the elections, the National Movement will strictly answer for all the crimes it has committed against the Georgian state and the Georgian people over two decades."
Worries remain that this warning could extend beyond politics, with Georgian authorities reportedly planning to create a database of individuals considered to have made threats or engaged in violence during protests against the "foreign agents" law. Parliament debates the draft law for the third and final time on May 13, while opposition protesters prepare for a significant rally on May 11.
The method by which the assailants obtained the contact information of prominent politicians and civil society figures remains unclear, although Bolokadze suggested that the data may be circulating via Telegram channels.
Levan Ioseliani, Georgia's ombudsman, released a statement on May 9, demanding a law enforcement response to the acts of violence. However, few expect the government to follow through, let alone identify and prosecute the perpetrators.
The persistent violence, intimidation, and threats against opposition figures and journalists have raised serious concerns about the state of democracy in Georgia. "This is a systemic problem," Abashidze said, "and to see it recur time and time again is extremely disheartening for a country with a fragile democracy."
Enrichment Insights:- Gender-based violence, such as sexist insults and unlawful strip searches, is often part of a broader strategy to intimidate and silence protesters, with women being particularly targeted[1][2][4].- Police involvement in arbitrary detentions, house searches, and stop-and-search practices, often accompanied by verbal abuse and threats, is seen as attempts to suppress dissent and deter further protests[1][2].- A systematic crackdown on peaceful protesters, facilitated by the Georgian government through legislation and judiciary manipulation, has been reported by civil society organizations[3].- The "foreign agents" draft law, which the ruling party seeks to pass despite promised presidential vetoes, is seen as part of a broader authoritarian trend[3][5].- Amnesty International and other rights groups have urged Georgia to stop these abuses, drawing attention to violations of international human rights law such as the ICCPR and the Bangkok Rules[2][4].
- The escalating threats against Georgian opposition figures and journalists suggest a deliberate policy to suppress anti-government voices, as seen in the calls received by Revaz Topuria, a lecturer at the University of Georgia, who was questioned about changing the minds of young people.
- Amidst the ongoing debates over the controversial "foreign agents" draft law, acts of violence and intimidation have become increasingly common, with Boris Kurua, a party member, brutally beaten, and Dimitri Chikovani, head of public relations for the main opposition party, the United National Movement, assaulted in apparent coordinated attacks.
- In addition to threats and physical attacks, the general news landscape in Georgia has been affected, with reports of criminals and justice-related incidents rising, potentially exacerbated by the tension surrounding the "foreign agents" draft law.
- The waves of violence in Georgia's past, such as the widespread violence in the 1990s and the rough handling of anti-government protesters in 2012, seem to be troubling echoes reemerging in the current political climate, as indicated by the titushky-like tactics observed during the recent violence.
- As opposition protesters prepare for a significant rally on May 11 and parliament debates the "foreign agents" draft law for the third and final time on May 13, concerns over the state of democracy in Georgia continue to grow, with experts like Kety Abashidze, a Tbilisi-based human rights lawyer, warning that the passing of the law could lead to further suppression of critics and a potential bludgeon for the ruling party in the upcoming elections.
