Giorgi Gakharia, the former Georgian Dream prime minister who is currently in exile as he faces criminal charges in two separate cases, has been listed as a fellow and visiting researcher at the Hertie School of Governance, a prestigious Berlin-based graduate institution.
Gakharia, who leads the opposition For Georgia party, left the country over the summer after authorities launched a criminal probe into the 2019 checkpoint tensions and revived another case related to the dispersal of the 2019 “Gavrilov’s Night” rally – both tied to his tenure as Interior Minister prior to his subsequent promotion to prime minister. He was formally charged in both cases on November 12 and placed in pre-trial detention in absentia the following day as he faces up to 13 years in jail.
According to the Hertie School’s website, Gakharia is listed as a Fellow and as a Visiting Researcher at the school’s Jacques Delors Centre, where his research focuses on “Georgia’s EU integration through the lens of European security.”
The ex-PM’s study aims “to critically assess the security implications of Georgia’s potential EU membership, taking into account historical, political, socio-economic, and security-related aspects of EU–Georgia relations,” and “deploys practical tools such as in-depth interviews with key decision-makers in the European Commission and EU member states,” the website entry reads.
Gakharia is reported to remain in Berlin while Georgian Dream continues jailing and pursuing criminal cases against both opposition leaders and former state officials. His For Georgia party has become increasingly estranged from the broader opposition, particularly following its decision to run in the partially boycotted municipal elections and its subsequent reversal of the parliamentary boycott, which saw its MPs take up their seats in October.
Also Read:
- 06/11/2025 – Georgian Authorities to Prosecute Eight Opposition Leaders for ‘Crimes Against State’
- 11/07/2025 – Prosecutors Revive Gavrilov’s Night Probe Citing 2024 ECtHR Ruling
- 04/07/2025 – Gakharia Defends Chorchana Checkpoint to Tsulukiani Commission as GD Revisits its Legacy
- 14/06/2025 – Gakharia in Prosecution Crosshairs Over 2019 Chorchana Tensions
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