**Georgian Dream Accused of Using Laws to Silence Activist**
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) is calling on the government to put a hold on plans to expel activist Temur Katamadze from the country. GYLA says that the way Katamadze’s case has been handled shows that the ruling “Georgian Dream” party is using the law to silence people who speak out against them.
Katamadze, also known as Gaffar Ilmaz, was recently denied international protection by a court in Tbilisi. The court refused to hear testimony from witnesses and made a decision without proper justification. This meant that Katamadze’s only option to stay in Georgia legally was to be granted refugee or humanitarian status.
But the Ministry of Internal Affairs didn’t wait for the court’s final decision before starting expulsion procedures against Katamadze. He was given just 10 days to leave the country voluntarily, with no clear explanation for why he was being expelled.
Katamadze has been living in Georgia since 2012 and has been an active critic of the government. In January this year, he was arrested twice by police officers who allegedly physically assaulted him. An investigation is currently underway into these incidents.
The situation surrounding Katamadze’s case raises serious concerns about the use of laws to target individuals who speak out against the government. GYLA says that the court’s refusal to question witnesses and the hasty decision to expel Katamadze suggest a deliberate attempt to silence him.
**Targeted Repression or Just Mismanagement?**
So, is this just a case of mismanaged justice, or is there something more sinister at play here? The fact that the judge who handled Katamadze’s case had previously denied his request for citizenship raises questions about bias and impartiality. And the speed with which the expulsion procedures were initiated, without proper justification from the court, smacks of targeted repression.
The Georgian Dream party has been accused of using all sorts of tactics to silence critics in the past. Whether this is a genuine attempt to muzzle dissent or just another example of Georgia’s bureaucratic inefficiencies remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: until this case is fully investigated and resolved, many Georgians will remain concerned about their government’s intentions.
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