Zourabichvili: Government's Repressive Measures Reflect Weakness, Society Will Not Be Silenced
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Georgia's fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, has condemned recent actions of Georgian Dream aimed at restricting media and public discourse, describing them as a direct reflection of authoritarian tendencies and institutional weakness. Speaking at a briefing, Zourabichvili warned that attempts to control language in the media echo the dystopian vision of George Orwell and represent a broader effort to suppress public resistance.
"The attempt to control every word you say and start banning words is straight out of Orwell's book, a new attempt to further restrict society. Meanwhile, this society is fighting today, the protest continues, and they cannot suppress this protest," Zourabichvili stated.
According to her, the beginning of a new wave of repressions signals desperation on the part of the ruling authorities. She emphasized that state agencies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and others, are being shaken by the ongoing civic movement.
Zourabichvili reaffirmed the demands of the Resistance Platform, which she described as clear and unwavering. These include the call for new parliamentary elections and the immediate release of political prisoners.
"I want to reiterate very clearly the joint and agreed-upon position of the Resistance Platform regarding elections. This position remains completely unchanged. Our demand is for parliamentary elections, and if we cannot achieve this by October, if they are not scheduled, then joint parliamentary and local elections. This is the only demand, which will not change, along with our second demand: the release of political prisoners."
She stressed that these elections must not be conducted under the influence or control of Bidzina Ivanishvili or the State Security Service, which she accused of undermining democratic integrity.
"These elections must not be held under Ivanishvili's rules, under the control of Ivanishvili and his State Security Service. To this end, we have prepared a comprehensive document that outlines our positions and demands on how these elections should be and how they should be conducted."
Zourabichvili called for national unity, urging the public to resist efforts by the government to create confusion and division. She framed the current political crisis as a decisive moment in Georgia's democratic struggle.
"They will not succeed unless they manage the only real lever the government has: sowing confusion, disappointment, and division in society. This is what we all must fight against together. In other words, unity in standing firm and continuing this fight to the end, and that end is already in sight," she said.
