The Georgian Parliament has voted to extend the mandate of a temporary investigative commission for one more month, until June 5. The commission was established on February 5 by the ruling Georgian Dream party to examine the actions of political figures affiliated with the former ruling party, the United National Movement (UNM), from 2003 to 2024.
The decision passed with 79 votes during a plenary session. Before the vote, commission chairperson Tea Tsulukiani presented the body’s interim report, outlining its progress and justifying the extension. According to Tsulukiani, the commission’s scope was significantly expanded by a parliamentary resolution adopted on April 1, 2025, now covering the years 2012–2024 as well.
From February 13 to April 28, the commission held 17 sessions and questioned 55 individuals, including 37 who identified as victims of past abuses. Tsulukiani said the commission had forwarded information to the Prosecutor General’s Office concerning individuals who failed to appear when summoned, including opposition figures such as Badri Japaridze, Mamuka Khazaradze, Irakli Okruashvili, Nika Gvaramia, Zurab “Girgchi” Japaridze, Giorgi Vashadze, Nikanor Melia, and Givi Targamadze.
As of April 27, the commission had received 397 submissions, 307 of which have been processed. These include 99 related to property rights violations, 92 to torture or inhumane treatment, 11 to the 2008 August War, and 105 letters on other topics.
Tsulukiani reported that around 100 substantial documents have been reviewed so far, and approximately 200 pages of the commission’s final report have already been drafted. She noted that the most comprehensive section would address the violent nature of the previous regime, alleged cases of torture and murder both within and outside detention facilities, and various forms of state-sponsored violence.
Another key section of the report will focus on the 2008 war with Russia. Tsulukiani claimed the commission’s early findings suggest that top political leaders ignored military advice and sidelined a comprehensive war plan that included civilian evacuation and medical care. “It appears the goal was not to minimize losses but rather to conduct a war that would inflict high civilian casualties,” she said.
Tsulukiani also emphasized the importance of legal recognition of Georgia’s position in the 2008 conflict, crediting the current Georgian Dream government for establishing this in international courts such as the Hague and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
She reiterated that the ruling Georgian Dream party has a clear objective with the commission’s work: to provide grounds for barring former UNM-affiliated political figures from future participation in politics. “Those who governed the country in this manner and now continue to cause problems at home and abroad should no longer have a place in Georgian politics,” she stated. “Their current and future political parties should also be excluded from the political arena.”
