**Three Opposition Leaders Sentenced to Prison in One Day**
In a concerning trend, the Georgian Dream government’s parliamentary investigative commission has handed down prison sentences to three opposition politicians who refused to comply with their summonses. Badri Japaridze of Lelo for Georgia was sentenced to eight months in prison, just hours after his party colleague Mamuka Khazaradze received the same sentence on similar charges.
This is not an isolated incident. Earlier in the day, Zurab Girchi Japaridze of Girchi-More Freedom was also sentenced to seven months in prison, weeks after he was sent to pretrial detention for refusing to pay court-imposed bail. These convictions are a stark reminder of the Georgian Dream government’s willingness to use the justice system to silence its opponents.
**A Tool for Repression**
The commission is widely seen as a tool for the Georgian Dream government to prosecute opposition politicians and silence dissenting voices. This latest round of prison sentences has been met with widespread condemnation from both domestic and international observers.
President Salome Zurabishvili was present at the Lelo party office where Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze were arrested, and she used her platform to criticize the government’s actions. “Pro-Russian, pro-Iranian Ivanishvili regime deepens repression: Four political leaders in jail, four awaiting sentences while PM Kobakhidze publicly warns the opponents: ‘all in jail!'” she wrote on X.
**A Pattern of Repression**
This is not the first time that opposition politicians have been sentenced to prison for defying summonses from the Georgian Dream commission. In fact, out of eight individuals summoned by the commission who refused to comply, three have now received final verdicts, with two more still awaiting their rulings.
The courts have opted for prison sentences in all cases so far, rather than fines or other penalties. This suggests that the government is using the justice system to deliberately target opposition leaders and silence them.
**A Call to Action**
Despite these setbacks, the opposition remains resolute. Badri Japaridze, one of those sentenced to prison today, vowed that “they will not break us.” Instead, he urged his fellow citizens to unite and gear up for a fight against the Georgian Dream government’s repression.
As the international community watches this unfolding drama with growing concern, it is clear that the people of Georgia are facing a serious challenge to their democratic rights. Will they be able to resist the pressure and maintain their commitment to democracy? Only time will tell.
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