MEP Rihards Kols on arrest of opposition leader Gvaramia: “Georgia sinks deeper into autocracy”

Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols has strongly condemned the arrest of Nika Gvaramia, a prominent Georgian opposition leader and co-founder of the Coalition for Change, calling it a sign that Georgia is "sinking deeper into autocracy."

“Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia imprisoned — joining Melia and Japaridze behind bars,” Kols wrote on X. “Ivanishvili tightens his grip, crushing dissent and erasing judicial independence. We must act before Georgia becomes another Belarus.”

Gvaramia was taken into custody following a Tbilisi City Court 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.