Hundreds of Georgian civil servants fired over political views — their stories inside
Dismissals of civil servants in Georgia
In recent months, social media posts have increasingly featured stories of Georgian civil servants being dismissed from their jobs. The most common reason cited for terminations in late December 2024 was the expiration of contracts. In the months that followed, “reorganization” became the most frequent explanation.
One thing is consistent across all cases — the vast majority of those dismissed had signed a pro-European petition.
It was their way of protesting Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement from November 28, 2024, in which he announced that Georgian Dream would suspend the country’s EU integration process until 2028.
According to a study published on April 15, 2025, by Transparency International, up to 700 civil servants have been dismissed from dozens of Georgian state institutions.
Kakha Samkharadze, co-chair of the Independent Union of Civil Servants – Article 78 of the Constitution, says the number of dismissals exceeded 800 by the end of April.
Firing people from public service for political reasons, personal animosity, or other formal pretexts has not been uncommon under either the previous or current governments.
“However, the scale of this trend today is unprecedented, which points to a deliberate state policy. Unfortunately, the number of dismissals is likely to keep growing, as various government agencies continue to announce reorganizations,” says Salome Shubladze, director of the social policy program at the Social Justice Center.
The petition, signed by thousands of Georgian citizens, stresses that the ruling party’s decision contradicts Article 78 of Georgia’s Constitution, which obliges state authorities to take all measures necessary to integrate the country into the European Union and NATO.
“I didn’t know or think about who started the petition. I saw the link and signed it. I didn’t encourage anyone to join or shame those who didn’t. It was an individual ethical choice, not a coordinated campaign,” says Misha Ramazashvili, a former employee of the Ministry of Defense.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze described the civil servants’ protest as “a process of self-purging and an attempt to sabotage state institutions.” Both officials threatened the signatories with appropriate retaliation.
“Rumors started going around at work, but I didn’t realize the risk. I thought it was a neutral petition — it didn’t insult or offend anyone, it simply called for defending Article 78. I had openly criticized the government for years, but no one ever questioned my position,” says Mariam Kandelaki, who was dismissed from Tbilisi City Hall.
“Since December, it’s felt like hell,” recalls another former City Hall employee, Naniko Bregvadze. “Colleagues hinted that those who signed would be fired and that they wouldn’t be able to help us. It was as if society had split, and we ended up on the ‘enemy’ side.”
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Over time, the number of people signing public petitions declined. Government employees began removing their names from the documents following threats from Georgian Dream representatives and the first wave of unexpected dismissals.
The fear of losing their jobs grew stronger after Georgian Dream introduced amendments to the Law on Public Service.
According to the amendments, the reorganization process has been simplified. For example, mid-level managers can now be dismissed without any legal justification.
In addition, the changes reinstated the rule allowing appointments to key positions without a competitive selection process.
Diplomatic service employees are no longer considered permanent civil servants, making it possible to dismiss them following a minister’s departure.
“Through repressive legislation, Georgian Dream has created a foundation for large-scale punitive actions against civil servants, marked by violations of labor rights and aimed at suppressing all forms of dissent in the public sector,” states the report Repressions by Georgian Dream in Public Service.
Dismissals
Misha Ramazashvili worked for nine years in the Ministry of Defense’s NATO Integration Department. In February, he and several of his colleagues were dismissed under the pretext of reorganization. Even the head of his department couldn’t help him keep his job.
Ramazashvili was never given a specific reason for his dismissal, neither in writing nor verbally.
Mariam Kandelaki, who spent eight years at the Tbilisi City Hall’s Municipal Services Development Agency, was also dismissed under the same pretext—without any explanation. She learned about her dismissal through a call from the HR department.
“It’s shocking when just the day before you’re discussing work issues with your supervisor – someone you’ve basically been friends with for years – and then the next day, you find out you’ve been fired,” Mariam says.
Naniko was one of the few people with disabilities employed in the public sector
She was dismissed as part of a reorganization after working for 11 years as an operator at Tbilisi City Hall. She was offered a lower position but declined.
“In addition to my duties as an operator, I trained staff, scheduled shifts for other operators, and ensured the proper technical condition of the office. I was also responsible for assisting people with disabilities who came to city hall.
I can honestly say I was an outstanding employee and naturally expected a promotion, not a demotion.
Accepting the lower position would have been extremely painful, even though I rent an apartment and have significant debt. I also lost my job just as I was preparing for a major surgery,” Naniko said.
Naniko Bregvadze is visually impaired and one of the very few people with disabilities who managed to secure a job in the public sector.
“I’ve been working since my student years, and I made it to city hall entirely on my own, without anyone’s help. I always wanted to be an example that people with disabilities can be competitive too – that they can work with dignity, not survive on charity or accept jobs that pay next to nothing,” she told JAMNews.
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Naniko Bregvadze’s job was her only source of income.
Mariam Kandelaki, a mother of four — one of whom has autism and requires regular therapy — also relied entirely on her salary. After losing her income, she had to pause loan payments, which increased her debt.
“This wave of dismissals hit the most vulnerable: single and multi-child mothers, and sole breadwinners,” said Kahi Samkharadze, co-chair of the “Independent Union of Civil Servants – Article 78.”
“Many had worked in the public sector for 20–30 years and have no experience elsewhere. Cut off from state jobs, they’re forced to start over despite their qualifications.”
“Some former civil servants are challenging the dismissals in court, but recent legal changes and low trust in the judiciary leave little hope. “In the past, we won some cases. Today that’s unlikely,” said Salome Shubladze. “If Georgian courts fail, we’ll go to Strasbourg.”
Salome Shubladze and other lawyers from the Center for Social Justice are currently handling 20 cases in court.
The Independent Union of Civil Servants is managing about 150 cases, and the number is growing daily. Fired employees who joined the union also plan to file a collective lawsuit.
The Independent Union of Civil Servants — Article 78 of the Constitution — was established in December 2024. The idea came from officials who signed the petition, most of whom are current or former government employees.
“We expected such repression from the start and wanted to help each other defend our rights. Right now, most of our members are dismissed civil servants, but our goal is to include current employees and build solidarity,” says Kahi Samkharadze, who has worked in government for ten years and is one of the union’s founders.
Kahi notes that unions are one of the oldest and most universal forms of solidarity, though they are still uncommon in Georgia.
There is also no strong tradition of strikes, one of the most effective tools available to workers.
Experts say that if such repression happened in Europe or the US, it would trigger widespread strikes.
“We are still in the early stages — just starting to communicate and meet. People, already burdened by financial and social obligations, fear facing their problems alone,” Samkharadze explains.
“But alone, we cannot stop this process. If we don’t unite now, we will face even more corruption, and government institutions will fill with incompetent, dishonest, and insensitive people who blindly sign everything.
We will lose access to services, and one day the whole system will collapse before our eyes.”
News in Georgia
