Key facts
- The lawsuit seeks to outlaw five pro-Western opposition parties.
- Georgian Dream claims the parties pose a threat to the constitutional order.
- The case is partially based on a report into alleged crimes under the previous government.
A court in Georgia began hearings on Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by the government seeking to ban five major opposition parties, a move that civil society groups say signals the beginning of one-party rule. The Constitutional Court in Batumi will review the suit, first filed by the ruling Georgian Dream party a year ago, over three days. The court must issue its final, unappealable ruling by June 2027.
The lawsuit marks the culmination of efforts by Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, to suppress opposition following its victory in a 2024 parliamentary election that opponents claim was rigged. The ruling party argues the five targeted parties, all pro-Western, pose a threat to the constitutional order.
Rights groups and the European Union have condemned the move. Georgia, which is seeking EU membership, has been criticized for increasing authoritarianism and deepening ties with Moscow since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The government claims it is protecting the country from opposition figures seeking to seize power and provoke a war with Russia.
Political science professor Kornely Kakachia stated that the ban would challenge the minimum standards of political pluralism required for an EU candidate country, suggesting Georgia is moving towards authoritarianism. The case draws partly on a report investigating alleged crimes and human rights violations under former President Mikheil Saakashvili's government.