The European Parliament condemns the illegal persecution of political opponents by the de facto investigative committee of the Georgian Parliament, led by the ruling party "Georgian Dream," according to the resolution text adopted today.

MEPs believe the committee disproportionately targets actions of a government that ended its mandate over twelve years ago, underlining the political nature of the "investigation."

"It notes that Georgian Dream has been in power since 2012, yet established the investigative committee alongside attempts to ban genuine opposition parties; it expresses concern over the statements made by the committee’s chair, Tea Tsulukiani, who spreads Russian narratives, and strongly condemns the politically motivated charges, detentions, and prosecutions of Zurab 'Girchi' Japaridze, Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, and other opposition politicians, and considers them political prisoners," the resolution states.

As the resolution continues, it notes that the municipal elections scheduled for autumn 2025 will be held in a deteriorated legal environment due to new changes adopted in December 2024 to Georgia’s Organic Law and Electoral Code, and due to the regime’s intensifying political repression and persecution of opposition figures.

"It considers that under the current political and legal conditions, the municipal elections pose a major challenge to any potential participant expecting free and fair competition, and that the self-declared authorities will use such participation to legitimize the new status quo. It believes that these upcoming elections cannot serve as an opportunity to reflect the democratic choice of the Georgian people unless imprisoned and detained opposition leaders are released, and the elections are conducted in an improved electoral environment under the supervision of an independent and impartial election administration to ensure a truly fair, free, and transparent process," the resolution states.

The European Parliament once again reaffirms its position that "the political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can only be resolved through new parliamentary elections to be held in the coming months in an improved electoral environment, under the supervision of an independent and impartial electoral administration and with close monitoring by international and independent local observers, to ensure a genuinely fair, free, and transparent process that reflects the true will of the people."

"It stresses that it does not recognize the self-declared government formed by the Georgian Dream party following the fraudulent parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 and considers Georgia to be a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime. Accordingly, it rejects any decisions made by the body that seized control of the country, including the rushed adoption of amendments to the Administrative Offences Code, the Criminal Code, and the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations. It regrets that the Georgian Parliament is now a one-party body established based on fraudulent elections, which is incompatible with pluralistic parliamentary democracy and the standards expected of an EU candidate country. It welcomes the rejection of Georgian Dream’s credentials in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which led to the withdrawal of Georgia’s delegation. It condemns the ruling Georgian Dream party’s ongoing attempts to persecute political opponents, including through illegal arrests and detentions, threats, and physical attacks; and once again calls for an end to politically motivated actions, an improved political environment, and the restoration of trust and dialogue between parties," the resolution states.

The European Parliament firmly reiterates its demand that "former President Mikheil Saakashvili be released immediately on humanitarian grounds so that he can receive the necessary medical treatment abroad; it stresses that the Georgian authorities bear full responsibility for his health and well-being and will be held accountable for any harm he suffers. Furthermore, it calls on the Georgian Dream authorities to ensure that Members of the European Parliament are granted unrestricted access to Mikheil Saakashvili."

"It underlines that the policy of non-recognition of the one-party parliament and the president appointed by it must continue until there is tangible change in Georgia's political direction and new free and fair parliamentary elections are held. It calls on representatives of the EU, member states, and Members of the European Parliament to refrain from meeting with representatives of the regime, starting with the current de facto president. It continues to recognize Salome Zurabishvili as the legitimate president of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people and welcomes her efforts to peacefully return the country to a path of democratic and European development," the document concludes.