Georgia has filed new criminal charges against leading opposition figures, including jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili, accusing them of sabotage, plotting to overthrow the government and aiding foreign powers.
Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze announced on Thursday that the most serious of the charges levelled against the group—“assisting a foreign state…in hostile activities”—carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
Prosecutor Gvarakidze alleged the politicians had “engaged in activities directed against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security” by providing information about energy and defence to Western governments that helped them sanction Georgian officials.
Those targeted include Saakashvili—currently serving a 12.5-year prison sentence for abuse of office—and opposition leaders Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, and Elene Khoshtaria. Many of them are already behind bars.
The prosecutor also claimed that several opposition figures had tried to “radicalize street protests” after the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections by calling for the seizure of government buildings. Saakashvili allegedly urged his supporters online to “resist and topple the regime.”The ruling Georgian Dream party recently asked the Constitutional Court to ban Georgia’s three main opposition parties—citing alleged political violence and corruption.
