On 15 September, Georgian police arrested liberal leader Helene Khoshtaria on charges of damage or destruction of property after writing “Russian Dream” on campaign banners for Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze, a member of the ruling pro-Russian Georgian Dream party.
Khoshtaria, leader of ALDE Party member Droa! In Georgia and one of the leaders of Georgia’s opposition Coalition for Change, can face up to five years in prison if guilty.
The arrest came on the 292nd day of protests that erupted in Georgia after last year’s disputed parliamentary elections led to Georgian Dream installing an unrecognised government and President, further accentuating the country’s ongoing democratic backsliding.
Khoshtaria’s actions were an act of solidarity with 23-year-old student Megi Diasamidze, who had been detained on charges of damaging the election banners of the ruling Georgian Dream party days earlier and was later released on bail with money earned by protesters.
In May, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, leader of fellow ALDE Party member Girchi – More Freedom in Georgia, was also arrested and convicted in a sham trial, and was later sentenced to 7 months in prison by an unjust court for refusing to appear before an illegitimate commission.
“With more of our Georgian liberal leaders now unjustly jailed, the situation is critical. ALDE Party stands in full solidarity. We call on the Georgian authorities to uphold democratic principles and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Helene and all political prisoners. Let’s be clear: Elene wrote on an allegedly illegal campaign banner, an act for which no one has faced criminal charges before. This disproportionate response by the Georgian Dream government is a direct assault on freedom of expression and a worrying step away from the EU path,” said ALDE Party Vice-President Dan Barna (USR, RO).
ALDE Party urges the Georgian Dream government to respect their obligations under international law, release all political prisoners without delay and return Georgia to the European path the Georgian people have chosen and the Georgian constitution demands.