Prepared by Messenger Staff
Zourabichvili Warns Georgia Is Facing 'Triple Crisis'
The 5th President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili warned on June 17 that Georgia is facing a serious political and geopolitical crisis. In a post on X following her speech in the French Senate, she said democracy is weakening, the country's sovereignty is being lost to Russia, and Georgia is moving away from Europe toward Russia and China.
Zourabichvili said the shift began with the introduction, withdrawal, and reintroduction of the so-called "Russian law," which targets foreign-funded organizations. She said this led to attacks on Western ambassadors and growing tensions with Georgia's international partners.
"Despite the government's turn away from the EU path, 80% of Georgians still strongly support European integration," Zourabichvili wrote. She said the ruling party is violating the constitution and using anti-European rhetoric, sparking protests across the country.
She accused the government of copying Russian methods to suppress civil society and political opposition. New laws now affect not just political groups, but also organizations that support people with disabilities and other vulnerable communities.
Zourabichvili said the courts are no longer independent and that legal cases are used to control political opponents. She noted that around 60 young activists are currently in pre-trial detention, with more verdicts expected this summer.
"This crisis isn't just internal," she said. "It's part of a Russian strategy to block Georgia's path to the EU and NATO through propaganda and political influence."
She also warned that the ruling party is building closer ties with Russia, Iran, and China, increasing Georgia's dependence on these countries and raising concerns about Black Sea security.
"Georgia faces a triple crisis: democracy is weakening, sovereignty is slipping into Russia's hands, and we are drifting from Europe toward Russia and China," she said.
NGOs Accuse Georgian Authorities of Enforcing 'Russian Laws,' Refuse to Share Personal Data
Representatives of several non-governmental organizations accused Georgian authorities on June 17 of enforcing what they called "anti-constitutional Russian laws" through politically influenced courts. Speaking at a briefing hosted by the Civil Society Foundation, they said the Anti-Corruption Bureau had unlawfully demanded sensitive personal data about individuals under their protection.
According to the NGOs, the demands include names, personal ID numbers, photographs, financial details, health records, and other private information of vulnerable groups such as victims of torture, women facing domestic abuse, teachers, students, pensioners, disabled individuals, journalists, whistleblowers, and former public servants who were allegedly dismissed unlawfully.
"They are demanding this information from us, human rights defenders, without any legal basis," the groups stated. "We will not betray the trust of citizens under our protection, even if it results in our persecution or arrest."
The NGOs warned that complying with such orders would violate both ethical obligations and the constitutional rights of those they assist. They pledged to use all legal channels to resist what they see as politically motivated pressure from the government.
"For us, their goal is clear - Ivanishvili is trying to destroy free civil society in Georgia, just as the Bolsheviks did in the 1920s, and as the Putin and Lukashenko regimes have done in recent years," they said in a joint statement, referring to ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and alleging coordinated efforts to suppress dissent.
The organizations emphasized their refusal to follow what they described as "Russian laws" or to accept the government's turn away from Georgia's European path.
"We will continue to fight to protect the rights of the Georgian people," they said.
