
The Daily Beat: 16 January
James MacCleary, a member of the UK Parliament, has introduced an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling for potential sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chair of the Georgian Dream Party, due to his role in Georgia’s democratic backsliding. The motion has already garnered 13 signatures.
In response to an Early Day Motion, the Georgian Dream party released a statement condemning the recent motion by over a dozen British MPs to sanction the party’s founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili. “…If the UK imposes sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, it will clearly show that the ‘deep state’ has reduced the UK to the level of Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, and the European Parliament, which should be seen as a particularly tragic event, given the historical past of this state,” reads the GD statement.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued an interim ruling on January 14 that critical Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov should not be extradited to Azerbaijan. The measure has been in force for seven days. Afghan Sadigov, who had fled Azerbaijan and has reportedly been living in Georgia since December 2023 has faced an extradition to Azerbaijan following the November 28, 2024 rulingof Tbilisi City Court.
Journalists rallied outside the Public Broadcaster under the slogan “Freedom for Mzia Amaghlobeli!” calling for the release of Amaghlobeli, founder of Netgazeti/Batumelebi. Media representatives held banners in solidarity and voiced concerns about media freedom in Georgia. The protesters urged the Public Broadcaster to prioritize the public’s interests, demanding its “return to the people” and live broadcasts for transparency. A similar rally took place in Kutaisi. For more updates, visit our Liveblog: Resistance.
The PACE delegation, consisting of co-rapporteurs Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), visited Georgia from January 14 to 16 to assess the country’s compliance with Council of Europe obligations amid a political crisis following the October elections and stalled EU accession negotiations. They met with members of the Georgian Dream government, opposition leaders, and individuals detained during ongoing protests.
On January 16, leading members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement, voicing their “profound concern” over Georgia’s worsening political crisis amid an attack on former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the leader of the opposition political party For Georgia in Batumi. They decried the assault as “yet another example of escalating violence” under the GD government. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also expressed their support for President Salome Zurabishvili and called for early elections.
The European Union criticized the Georgian Dream government’s recent actions as a reversal of democratic progress in a statement on January 15 during the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ meeting. “Georgia needs to guarantee the full respect for fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, and the freedom, independence, and pluralism of the media, as well as the rights of LGBTI persons,” the statement said.
According to the latest Economic Climate survey by PMCG Research, Georgian economists anticipate a significant slowdown in economic growth for 2025, citing political instability and exchange rate fluctuations as major challenges. Current assessments of Georgia’s economy are negative, with very pessimistic predictions for the next six months.