An opposition MP has accused Georgia’s ruling party of using the courts for political punishment, pointing to the rushed night hearing that led to the deportation of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov as one of the clearest examples.
Tata Khvedeliani, an MP from the For Georgia party headed by Giorgi Gakharia, said in an interview with PalitraNews that Sadigov’s case was politically motivated and reflected a wider pattern of selective pressure by the Interior Ministry and Georgian Dream.
Sadigov, an Azerbaijani journalist and editor of Azel.TV, was sent from Georgia to Azerbaijan in April after a late-night court hearing. His case drew concern from press freedom groups because of the risks facing government critics and journalists in Azerbaijan.
For Georgia is the only opposition party currently serving in parliament while the rest are boycotting the assembly due to alleged election fraud in 2024. Several of For Georgia’s MPs have used their parliament seats to ask critical questions to the Georgian Dream government.
In the interview, Khvedeliani said the most important and precedent-setting part of the Sadigov case was the court session held at night.
“We saw a courtroom opened at night, in which politically motivated justice was carried out, and then this person was quickly sent to Azerbaijan,” she said.
She compared the method to what she called practices from the time of the United National Movement government, when court hearings were held at night and in haste to restrict people’s freedom.
Khvedeliani argued that the case fits a broader domestic pattern in which the authorities target people who express critical views about Georgian Dream or refuse to recognize the legitimacy of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s government.
She said it was not surprising that foreign nationals could face such treatment when, according to her, Georgian citizens are also being punished harshly for protest-related activity.
“When people are sent to prison for standing on the sidewalk and criminal prosecution is launched against them, what is surprising about such actions being taken against foreigners?” Khvedeliani said.
The MP’s comments came in a wider interview that also focused on Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, and his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Khvedeliani said Ivanishvili had shown disrespect for Georgia’s constitutional order and had “delegitimized” the Kobakhidze government by making himself the central figure during the visit.
She claimed Kobakhidze had been reduced to the role of Ivanishvili’s assistant and said the prime minister should resign if he respects the constitution.
Khvedeliani also argued that recent events in Georgia were not a real fight against corruption, but a reshuffling of influence between political clans. She described this as the replacement of a “Gharibashvili-Liluashvili clan” with a “Kobakhidze-Kaladze clan.”
