Tsulukiani’s Investigative Commission Wraps Up, Report Expected in September
Tea Tsulukiani brought down the curtain on Georgian Dream’s investigative commission on August 4, concluding a six-month work with a 430-page document, expected to be made public in early September and used in the ruling party’s stated intention to ban all major opposition parties.
The commission, established in the one-party parliament in February under the leadership of former Justice and Culture Minister Tsulukiani, was initially formed to investigate alleged crimes committed under the United National Movement rule (2003-2012). But its scope was expanded in April to cover current and former officials from 2003 to the present, effectively targeting nearly every major opposition party, which GD brands as “the collective UNM.”
“I hope this document will be useful to investigative bodies, courts, and NGOs,” Tsulukiani said during the final session, adding that the commission report may assist in “seeking additional information in various directions” and enable “real analysis and research.”
The report is expected to be damning, with GD leaders repeatedly signaling their intention to submit the report to the Constitutional Court as part of their campaign to ban the UNM and what they call “successor parties.” The appeal is expected to follow the widely boycotted local elections scheduled for October 4.
The ruling party leaders have openly declared plans to seek the banning of all four major opposition parties that crossed the 5% threshold in the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections: the United National Movement, the Coalition for Change alliance, the Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition, and For Georgia, led by former Georgian Dream Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
The Commission’s work has already led to the jailings of eight opposition figures, among them six active political leaders – Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Zurab Japaridze, Giorgi Vashadze, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze – who defied commission summons. Giorgi Gakharia agreed to testify twice, but remains abroad as he faces two separate probes over his actions from his tenure as interior minister in 2019.
The commission chair detailed the contents of the document, claiming it uncovers “torture and inhuman treatment in the penitentiary system,” “murders and violence committed by state agenicies,” “violations of property rights and business racketeering,” “attacks on media freedom,” “grave privacy violations,” “the August 2008 war,” “use of the war propaganda,” and “ongoing attempts to violently overthrow the constitutional order,” which Tsulukiani claimed have persisted since 2012.
The report draws on 46 commission sessions, testimony from 139 witnesses, and a total of 775 testimonies. Tsulukiani said the commission also reviewed national and international court rulings and reports from international organizations.
The report will now be sent to the Parliament Bureau, which is expected to schedule a plenary session in early September for its presentation and adoption. “Until the Parliament hears this conclusion, naturally, we cannot conduct discussions about it with third parties,” Tsulukiani noted.
Tsulukiani closed the session by thanking the public for listening and monitoring the commission. “And I know some, who, during the course of the sessions, it can be said without exaggeration, cried when listening to those very many victims, to that misfortune that Mikheil Saakashvili brought upon his homeland, upon the people,” Tsulukiani concluded.
Also Read:
- 27/05/2025 – GD Parliament Extends Mandate of UNM Investigative Commission
- 21/05/2025 – GYLA: Rejection to Appear Before GD Commission Cannot Be Qualified as Criminal Offense