TBILISI, July 31 – Two of the opposition’s figureheads are in Washington D.C. to lobby for the U.S. Congress introducing sanctions against Georgia to force the country to adhere to democratic standards.
Strong Georgia – Lelo’s leaders, Salome Samadashvili and Grigol Gegelia, travelled to Washington D.C. to meet Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw. According to the party, the meeting addressed political repression in Georgia and urged U.S. lawmakers to accelerate the MEGOBARI Act. This is a Congressional bill aimed at bolstering accountability, resilience, and democratic governance in Georgia.
During discussions, the Georgian delegation highlighted demands central to the country’s ongoing democratic protest movement: the scheduling of new parliamentary elections and the release of individuals they consider political prisoners. They also raised concerns over Georgia’s growing strategic alignment with authoritarian states, contrasting it with Western values.
Another key topic was the proposed Anaklia deep‑sea port, a major infrastructure project intended to position Georgia as a key transit hub across the Middle Corridor. The opposition representatives emphasized the port’s strategic importance for regional trade and its potential contribution to Georgia’s economic sovereignty.
Observers note that the MEGOBARI Act, introduced in the U.S. House in January 2025 and backed by bipartisan sponsors, would require sanctions against foreign persons, including Georgian officials, deemed to undermine Georgian security, democracy, or “Euro‑Atlantic integration,” meaning membership in NATO and the EU. Implementation would be linked to measurable democratic progress, including free elections and media freedoms.
Georgian Dream officials have rejected claims of democratic erosion and criticized the new U.S. act as a threat to Georgia’s sovereignty.
