The Daily Beat: 1 June
The Georgian interpretation of the American Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) took effect on May 31, amid widespread concerns that the vague legislation would be used further to restrict freedom of expression and association in the country. The law is an exact translation of the U.S. FARA document enacted in 1938.
The Tbilisi City Court placed Nika Melia, the co-chair of the opposition Ahali party, in pretrial detention on May 30 for refusing to pay the bail imposed after he defied a summons from the Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative commission. Similarly, another leader of the Coalition for Change, Zurab Japaridze of the Girchi–More Freedom party, along with former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili, were placed in pretrial detention on May 22 under comparable circumstances.
Nika Melia, who was detained on May 29, one day before a court hearing that he had vowed not to attend. The Interior Ministry claims Melia was detained for insulting police officers, an administrative offense, while the opposition describes the detention as an “abduction.” Civil.ge has collected both domestic and international reactions to Nika Melia’s detention.
On May 30, Tbilisi City Court sentenced students Lika Lortkipanidze and Tatia Apriamashvili to 12 days in detention after Georgian Dream MP Mariam Lashkhi accused them of publicly insulting her. Activist Magda Mamukashvili was fined 4,000 GEL but not detained due to being a mother of a minor. MP Lashkhi accused three female activists of insulting her during a May 17 incident at a café with her minor children, where they shouted slogans like “Freedom for regime prisoners” and “No to Russian slaves.”
The Resistance Platform has formally addressed the Weimar Triangle countries, reaffirming its support for Georgia’s European path and calling for international action to address the ongoing political crisis. Key steps include developing a coherent EU policy toward Georgia, implementing targeted sanctions against those undermining democracy, ensuring free parliamentary elections, and providing strong support for civil society and independent media. Additionally, they emphasize the immediate release of all political prisoners to reinforce Georgia’s commitment to democratic values.
Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) is visiting Georgia, the U.S. Embassy announced on May 30. A member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Daines met with both the Georgian Dream government representatives and opposition leaders, including President Salome Zurabishvili. “He plans to raise domestic and international issues, including the rule of law and business and foreign investment priorities,” the U.S. Embassy says.
The Data of the Day
Georgia’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 7.5% in April 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, according to a report by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on May 30. Geostat highlighted that several sectors contributed significantly to this growth, including information and communication, financial and insurance services, mining and quarrying, real estate, and transportation and storage. However, there was a decline in the construction and manufacturing sectors.