Fox News: "Georgian demonstrators watch Iran closely as their own protests grind on"
Fox News compares protests in Georgia and Iran
Fox News has published an article on the ongoing protests in Georgia titled “Georgian demonstrators continue protesting while closely watching Iran.”
The publication writes that Georgians have been taking to the streets for more than a year, despite cold weather, accusations, and violence by the authorities.
The article recalls that the protests were preceded by disputed parliamentary elections, followed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to suspend Georgia’s EU accession process – a move that sparked widespread public anger.
According to Fox News, many protesters are closely watching the struggle for democracy in Iran and view their own fight as a continuous struggle against a corrupt and unpopular regime.
The article also draws attention to the broader context in which the protests in Georgia are taking place.
Fox News notes that since 2024, relations between the Iranian and Georgian authorities have noticeably grown closer, raising additional questions about the country’s foreign policy.
“Civic IDEA, a Georgian NGO, issued a report in July 2025 detailing how Iranian businessmen and companies use Georgia as a strategic transit point to evade international sanctions and channel funds back to Iran.
Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia, according to the Civic IDEA report,” Fox News writes.
The article points out that “there have also been no statements of support for the pro-democracy protests from the Georgian Dream government or condemnation of security force human rights violations against innocent people (in Iran).”
In Fox News’ view, these factors create a backdrop in which Georgian protesters see developments in Iran not as a distant event, but as a parallel to their own political struggle—against a government that part of society perceives as having authoritarian tendencies.
According to Transparency International Georgia, following the 2024 parliamentary elections and the protests that erupted amid allegations of vote rigging that allowed Georgian Dream to retain power:
- 600 people were detained;
- 300 protesters were subjected to torture or inhuman treatment;
- 1,000 citizens were fined for their political views;
- 400 journalists were arrested, beaten, or harassed.
