Opinion: 'Ivanishvili will keep opposition leaders in prison for years — I think that will sober Brussels up'
Georgi Rukhadze’s opinion
“Bidzina Ivanishvili will keep opposition leaders in prison for many years — the European Union must understand that pressure alone is not enough,” said Giorgi Rukhadze, political analyst and founder of the Center for Strategic Analysis.
According to Rukhadze, the political developments unfolding in Georgia increasingly resemble the establishment of a dictatorship. He added that the lack of a strong response from Europe and the United States has given the authorities the confidence to intensify their repressive measures even further.
Criminal proceedings have been launched against pro-Western opposition leaders, including Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nikanor Melia, Zurab Girchi Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze. According to the prosecutor’s office, the cases were opened under charges of sabotage, aiding the hostile activity of a foreign state, financing actions against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security, as well as inciting the violent overthrow of the constitutional order and government.
Georgi Rukhadze: “This is a roadmap to dictatorship. Everything has been leading up to this. Ivanishvili saw that he couldn’t control the protests. He saw that eight opposition political leaders were due to be released — which would have further fuelled demonstrations. In my view, he’s simply covering his bases. Ivanishvili will keep the political leaders in prison for many years.
If we recall Kobakhidze’s famous speech on 28 November, it came after the European Parliament’s toughest resolution. The EU and the West need to understand that mere pressure is not enough. If ‘Georgian Dream’ can publicly respond to all of this, it clearly shows that pressure from Europe is insufficient.
Unfortunately, the US is preoccupied with other matters, and the EU is unable to impose timely sanctions or react to attempts to cement a dictatorship in Georgia. When sanctions are delayed, when election fraudsters go unpunished, when people are imprisoned without any response — the regime is left with free rein to escalate repression. I believe this will sober up Brussels.
A state where all opposition leaders are behind bars; a state that adopts ‘Russian-style’ laws and restrictions on freedom of assembly — this directly contradicts the fundamental values of the European Union. Dictatorships are not tolerated in the EU. The European Union is a club of democracies.”
