One of the leaders of the Strong Georgia opposition coalition, Irakli Kupradze, on Monday accused the authorities in the country’s Autonomous Adjara region, led by Tornike Rizhvadze, of escalating violence and repression against citizens and opposition members in the city of Batumi.
At a press briefing in Batumi, Kupradze claimed that civil activists, politicians, and ordinary citizens had been subjected to illegal detentions and violent crackdowns in recent days, following the Georgian Dream Government’s move last year to halt EU accession until 2028.
He specifically highlighted the arrests of Vazha Darchia, a member in the Batumi City Assembly, and Luka Natsvlishvili, a young politician involved in protests against the controversial foreign transparency law adopted by the parliament last year.
Kupradze alleged that the government used law enforcement agencies to suppress dissent, describing the current administration as a “Russian regime” under the influence of the GD Honorary Chair and founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. He also accused Rizhvadze, the head of Adjara, of orchestrating the actions, claiming “Rizhvadze, who was silent up to now, has decided to take violence against the citizens of Batumi”.
Kupradze further criticized the alleged role of local law enforcement of “exercising terror” on people.
The opposition leader demanded the immediate release of all detained individuals, whom he referred to as political prisoners, and called for new elections as the only solution to the crisis.
He also mentioned ongoing efforts to coordinate with international partners to push for sanctions against the Georgian government, emphasizing that resistance and struggle would ultimately yield results.