Georgian opposition leaders condemn police raids as politically motivated crackdown

Opposition leaders in Georgia have accused the government of launching a politically motivated crackdown after police carried out early morning raids on the homes of several civil society figures, including journalists, activists, and NGO heads.

The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Tuesday that searches were conducted at the residences of Nanuka Zhorzholiani, a television presenter and founder of the Nanuka Foundation, Mariam Bajelidze, a civil activist, and Aleko Tskitishvili, head of the Human Rights Center, among others. Officials said the operations were conducted under a court ruling as part of an investigation into alleged sabotage and activities against Georgia’s constitutional order.

According to the authorities, the investigation concerned “sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, and cooperation with foreign organizations in hostile activities.” The Prosecutor’s Office alleged the individuals were linked to efforts aimed at undermining national security.

Opposition figures have condemned the raids, describing them as an escalation in what they called a campaign of political repression.

Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the political council of the United National Movement, accused the government of orchestrating “demonstrative, well-planned punitive measures” aimed at intimidating civil society. In a statement, he likened the events to “Kadyrov’s Grozny,” referring to the authoritarian rule in Chechnya, and called for a “real offensive, oppositional movement” in response.

“They are making their enslaved people see this, so they do not escape from the ship that is doomed to sink,” Khabeishvili said, warning that the days of the current regime “are numbered.”

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party, echoed the criticism, calling the raids a sign of “a regime of fear” and describing the legal actions as “false accusations” and “court farces.”

“First, they shut down foundations helping those beaten and arrested under false charges. Now they are raiding homes not because of wrongdoing, but because the regime fears free citizens,” Vashadze said in a written statement. He described Nanuka Zhorzholiani as a threat to the authorities simply “because she speaks the truth.”

The raids come amid growing political tensions in Georgia, where critics accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, of consolidating power and stifling dissent, particularly after the government’s decision late last year to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028.