Opposition politician arrested in Georgia for defacing mayor’s campaign banner
Opposition politician arrested in Georgia
Elene Khoshtaria, founder of the Droa party and member of the Coalition for Change, has become the tenth opposition figure in Georgia to be arrested on criminal charges in the past six months.
She was detained over the defacement of an election banner for Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze, who is seeking re-election as the candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Khoshtaria was detained at her home. Footage released by her party colleagues shows her leaving the building accompanied by plainclothes law enforcement officers and getting into a nearby parked car.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed Khoshtaria’s arrest on charges of “property damage” and said an investigation has been launched under Article 187 of the Criminal Code, which carries penalties ranging from a fine or community service to between one and five years in prison.
Khoshtaria wrote “Russian Dream” – a play on the name of the ruling Georgian Dream party – and “Russian” on Kaladze’s campaign banners displayed outside his election headquarters. She said the act was meant to show solidarity with 23-year-old activist Megi Diasamidze, who had earlier been arrested for the same action.
Khoshtaria posted a photo of the defaced banner on social media, adding the caption: “Solidarity with Megi!”
Diasamidze was arrested on 9 September and charged under the same article of the Criminal Code, “property damage.” She was fined 2,000 lari (£740) and released after paying.
At present, alongside Elene Khoshtaria, six other opposition politicians remain in custody in Georgia. Most were arrested for failing to appear before a temporary investigative commission set up by Georgian Dream on 5 February 2025 to probe alleged crimes committed under the previous government of the now-opposition United National Movement.
Those under arrest include opposition politician Irakli Okruashvili; Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Girchi – More Freedom party; Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia, leaders of the Akhali party and the For Change coalition; and Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party. And opposition politician Givi Targamadze.
All those detained have been sentenced to between seven and eight months in prison.
Two other opposition leaders, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of the Lelo party, who received the same sentences, were pardoned on the condition that their party take part in the 4 October municipal elections — the same ones in which Kakha Kaladze is running.
On 11 September, opposition politician and former United National Movement chair Levan Khabeishvili was also arrested. Prosecutors accuse him of publicly calling for officials to be bribed and for the violent overthrow of the government.
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