Estonian Foreign Ministry condemns imprisonment of Georgian opposition leader Nika Gvaramia

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the imprisonment of Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Coalition for Change party in Georgia.

In a statement shared on social media, the Estonian MFA said:
“We strongly condemn the imprisonment of yet another opposition leader, Nika Gvaramia — head of the ‘Coalition for Change’ party — by Georgian Dream. The EU must respond promptly.”

Estonia, a vocal supporter of democratic reforms in the region, called on the European Union to take swift and decisive action in response to what it sees as an alarming trend of political repression by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Gvaramia was taken into custody following a Tbilisi City Court June 13 ruling that revoked his bail and replaced it with pre-trial detention. Judge Jvebe Nachkebia granted the Prosecutor’s Office’s motion on Friday, citing Gvaramia’s repeated refusal to appear before Georgia’s Temporary Parliamentary Investigative Commission. The commission, established by the ruling Georgian Dream party, is investigating alleged political abuses dating back to the early 2000s.

Gvaramia’s arrest marks the latest in a series of detentions targeting opposition leaders in Georgia. He now joins fellow opposition political figures Nika Melia and Zurab Japaridze behind bars, raising growing concerns among Western officials about the country’s democratic backsliding.

Critics argue the arrests are part of a broader campaign by billionaire and Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili to silence dissent and consolidate power ahead of the upcoming elections. The government maintains that the charges are based on legal violations and not politically motivated.