- Статьи
- World
- Lobbyist in Washington: Georgia called for the release of protesters for the sake of relations with the United States
Lobbyist in Washington: Georgia called for the release of protesters for the sake of relations with the United States
After the release of more than 120 prisoners in Belarus, opposition figures in Georgia began talking about the possibility that the US president could agree on a similar scenario with the ruling Georgian Dream. However, Tbilisi denies such a scenario, even if it brings normalization of relations with Washington. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Not prisoners of conscience
Former Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is in opposition to the current authorities of the country, called on Tbilisi to follow the example of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The day before, he released more than a hundred political prisoners.
Some time later, journalists from the opposition TV channel TV Pirveli asked President Mikhail Kavelashvili.: is he going to pardon imprisoned activists and opposition leaders on the eve of the New Year, or at least against the background of appeals from Western partners?
Local human rights activists estimate that there are between 100 and 200 "political" prisoners in Georgian prisons. They were jailed for vandalism, participating in unsanctioned protests or in clashes with the police.
Kavelashvili said he did not consider the sentences against the opposition to be politically motivated.
"The people who are in prison today and whom you call "prisoners of conscience" have committed a specific crime. There is also a political motive… In my opinion, these people were deceived, and some are still being deceived," the Georgian leader said. According to the head of state, in order to be released, they need to admit their mistakes.
At the same time, the prisoners themselves and their relatives declare that there will be no remorse, and many of them refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the government at all.
Reboot
Georgian Dream hoped that after Donald Trump's return to the White House, Washington's approach to Tbilisi would change. The American leader was perceived as a man who was guided by the principle of Realpolitik and professed an imperfect approach to foreign policy. In addition, Georgia hoped for a rapprochement with the new American administration based on common conservative values.
However, Trump has not yet reversed the previous administration's decision to freeze financial support for Georgia and suspend the strategic partnership. The State Department said it would "continue to evaluate the American approach to Georgia to advance U.S. interests," emphasizing that "Washington has clearly outlined steps that the Georgian government can take to demonstrate its seriousness about improving relations with the United States."
US President Donald Trump
The Georgian authorities have repeatedly made it clear that they are ready to resume relations with Washington from scratch. Tbilisi is confident that there are two possible scenarios for the development of events: the first is favorable for Georgia, and the second is in which relations between the two countries will develop in the same way as under former US President Joe Biden.
The American Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, met with Georgian Foreign Minister Maki Bochorishvili. The sides discussed prospects for cooperation in energy, economics and other fields, as well as what Tbilisi can do to improve relations with the United States.
In early April, Trump imposed a 10% base tariff on Georgia. According to the White House, Georgia also has a 10% tariff on American products. It was assumed that the duties would affect the prices of Georgia's main exports to the United States, including ferroalloys and manganese.
Cooperation continues
Donald's active rapprochement with the Georgian authorities, which Tbilisi would like so much, is not happening. However, despite disagreements on human rights and democracy, Washington and Tbilisi continue to cooperate closely in the military-political sphere.
This was confirmed by the recent large-scale military exercises Agile Spirit 2025 ("Agile Spirit"), which unfolded on Georgian territory. Several NATO states, Ukraine and Moldova participated in them. The observers were army and staff units from Armenia and Japan.
Prior to that, in early spring, the Georgian authorities issued permission for NATO warships to enter the ports of Poti and Batumi.
Shota Apkhaidze, a political scientist and expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, believes that so far there has been no "thaw" in relations between Tbilisi and Washington.
— There is nothing special about conducting maneuvers — Georgia has never rejected Euro-Atlantic integration. In general, everything is ready to unfreeze relations and restart the strategic partnership, the system has not gone anywhere, but the goodwill of the Trump administration is needed," he explained in a conversation with Izvestia.
The maneuvers played an important role for the ruling Georgian Dream (GM) party, as in 2024 the United States canceled similar Noble Partner exercises, expressing dissatisfaction with GM's "anti-American rhetoric," the approval of a law in parliament against "foreign agents," as well as the arrests of opposition leaders and activists.
Last year, Washington suspended the US-Georgian Charter on Strategic Partnership, drawn up immediately after the 2008 war, and imposed financial and visa sanctions against Georgian officials, judges and some businessmen.
Concessions are needed
Archil Sikharulidze, founder of the SIKHA Foundation Research Institute, noted in an interview with Izvestia that Georgian Dream had repeatedly carried out the procedure of pardoning opposition leaders.
Nikanor Melia
— Let's remember Nikanor Melia, who later went to prison again with his own hands. So this tactic is no longer working, because the West is asking for clemency, knowing at the same time that the person was lawfully imprisoned. Then he will be pardoned, and he goes out to protest, storming the parliament building," the political scientist noted.
In his opinion, it is not completely clear why then the "Georgian Dream" should pardon someone.
"If Donald Trump shakes hands with the Georgian Dream and restores the strategic partnership with Georgia against the background of the fact that Brussels and Europe are still trying to overthrow the Georgian authorities, this proposal may be interesting," the expert believes.
However, according to the expert, additional concessions are needed for this.
— For example, that the United States will not support these oppositionists, and that America will ask them to stop organizing a "Euro jihad" in Georgia. These people actively participated in planning attacks on the parliament buildings and the presidential administration," the analyst explained.
Sikharulidze also added that no one doubts the existence of political prisoners in Belarus.
— And in Georgia, during the rule of the Georgian Dream, there was not a single official political prisoner. The Georgian Dream won all the cases against all the so-called political prisoners in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The party claims that political prisoners are a political mechanism of struggle," Sikharulidze said.
The political scientist fears that after their release they will storm the parliament building again.
— To release them is, in fact, to bring back a well—formed, well-trained, professional extremist group. I doubt very much that the Georgian Dream will do this," the expert concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
