Danish FM condemns imprisonment of Georgian opposition leaders, calls for targeted sanctions

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has issued a statement, condemning the arrests of opposition figures, civil society, and independent media. In a statement posted on social media, Rasmussen declared:
“Denmark strongly condemns Georgian Dream’s imprisonment of multiple opposition leaders, prosecution of civil society, crackdown on independent media and prolonged pretrial detention of Mzia Amaglobeli. DK supports targeted sanctions.”

The statement follows a series of court rulings in Tbilisi over the past week that have drawn international concern. On June 27, opposition leader Nika Melia, co-founder of the Akhali party, was sentenced to eight months in prison for refusing to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission — a body whose legitimacy has been disputed by the opposition.

Earlier, on June 24, Giorgi Vashadze, leader of Strategy Aghmashenebeli, was sentenced to seven months on similar grounds. On June 23, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, leaders of the Lelo – Strong Georgia movement, were also handed eight-month sentences. On the same day, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze of the Coalition for Change received an identical sentence.

Critics, including domestic and international observers, view the charges as politically motivated and say the rapid sequence of rulings reflects a broader pattern of repression ahead of Georgia’s upcoming elections. The case of Mzia Amaglobeli, a media manager and journalist, held in prolonged pretrial detention, has further fueled calls for international response.