The latest ruling follows a nine-year prison sentence issued last week over Saakashvili's alleged large-scale embezzlement of state funds, adding up to almost 12 additional years in prison.
The judge found Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili guilty of misappropriating 9 million lari (about $5.4 million at the time) from the state budget for personal expenses, including luxury hotels, cosmetic procedures, and designer clothing.
Georgia is in a grim state. Once vibrant, welcoming, and hopeful, it has become a country where peaceful protesters are beaten and journalists are branded as traitors. Over the past year, the ruling Georgian Dream party has stifled civil society and media with its foreign agent law, extended its reign
Abkhazia, an occupied region internationally recognized as part of Georgia, has been under de facto Russian control since the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.
Several European politicians that are considered pro-Russian expressed their approval for the U.S. President Donald Trump after he clashed in a heated argument with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Members of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party voted to revoke the mandates of 49 opposition parliamentarians on Feb. 5 after they refused to take their seats, citing concerns over the legitimacy of the results of the October parliamentary election.
Key developments on Feb. 1-2: * Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on high alert during Russian missile attack on Ukraine * Russia’s new naval base raises fears of Georgia’s involvement in Ukraine war, WSJ reports * Massive fire breaks out at Kharkiv warehouse after Russian drone attack * 15,000 Russian
Georgian police arrested two opposition leaders, including the former mayor of Tbilisi, during a street protest against the ruling Georgian Dream party, Echo of the Caucasus reported on Feb. 2.
Ochamchire, more than 700 kilometers southeast of the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory, could provide Moscow with a naval base that remains largely beyond the range of Ukraine’s existing long-range strikes.
Georgia withdrew its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Jan. 29 after the Assembly passed a resolution calling for Tbilisi to hold new parliamentary elections.
"Fundamental rights and democratic values are core principles of EU integration. Officials that represent a country which trample down these values should not benefit from easier access to the EU," said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's interior minister.
Georgian citizens are being urged to participate in a nationwide strike on Jan. 15 to demand the release of detained protestors and to call for new elections, Protest 24 posted on Facebook.
The Migration Department of the Georgian Interior Ministry has initiated expulsion proceedings against 25 foreign nationals.
The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on Dec. 29.
Georgian anti-Western politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was inaugurated as the country's sixth president on Dec. 29 in a move seen as illegitimate by the opposition.
The press service of the Abkhaz energy company Chernomorenergo reported that a schedule from Nov. 1, under which electricity will be unavailable for four hours per day, is in effect.
"To safeguard the democratic principles currently at stake in Georgia, it is imperative that the authorities urgently address all concerns," OSCE representative Eoghan Murphy said.
Vakhtang Golandzia, a member of the assembly that de facto serves as the occupied region's legislative body, was fatally shot, and his colleague Kan Kvarchia was injured, RFE/RL reported, citing local health authorities.
Lithuania and Estonia have imposed sanctions against Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and several government officials, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris announced on X on Dec. 15.
In a joint letter, Georgian opposition leaders urged the release of all detained politicians, activists, and peaceful demonstrators; the introduction of targeted sanctions against those responsible for "undermining democracy;" the suspension of visa-free travel and visa restrictions for Georgian Dream officials; and the declaration of the "self-proclaimed regime" of Bidzina Ivanishvili as illegitimate.
The fine for wearing a mask or using lasers or fireworks is 2,000 Georgian lari ($712).
The U.S. State Department announced visa bans for approximately 20 Georgian individuals for undermining democracy in the country, according to the department’s statement on Dec. 12.
The region has recently faced energy restrictions aggravated by a growing spat with its Russian patrons. Moscow has cut almost all funding, including money crucial for the energy sector, after Abkhazia's local council voted against a controversial investment agreement with Russia.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has pledged to veto a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials for their crackdown on anti-government protests, the First Channel of Georgia reported on Dec. 10.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced plans to introduce a law banning participants in rallies and counter-rallies from covering their faces, Georgia Today reported on Dec. 8.
Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Dec. 9 to Dec. 15. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. Romania's newly elected Parliament to set
"Ukraine supports and stands in solidarity with the Georgian people, who are currently fighting for a worthy future for themselves," Zelensky told Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili during the meeting. "It is important to always respect the will of the people and not let the Ivanishvili government surrender the country to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."
Georgian police detained Tsotne Koberidze, a politician and member of the Coalition for Change opposition group, on Dec. 6 amid government crackdowns as pro-EU protests in the country continue.
The sanctions target oligarch and de facto leader of Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili and 18 other individuals.
Georgian police detained Nika Gvaramia, the leader of the Coalition for Change opposition party, on Dec. 4 amid government crackdowns as pro-EU protests in the country continue.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Georgian authorities "are pushing the country into clear dependence on Russia."
On Oct. 26, Georgia held parliamentary elections under a proportional system with a 5% threshold. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote, earning 89 parliamentary mandates but falling short of a constitutional majority. Opposition parties received 37.79% of the
