Zurabishvili: We Are Starting to Prepare for the May 26 Manifestation
According to Salome Zurabishvili, the 5th President of Georgia, the Coordination Platform, together with various public groups, is initiating the formation of a preparatory committee for May 26.
“Together with representatives from different public groups, we are beginning work on establishing a May 26 preparatory committee. Our aim is not only to organise our platform but to engage the entire public in marking this day. This is a shared celebration of our country’s independence.
At a time when that independence is under threat due to an illegitimate government, we must defend it. We must do so in the place where we have always celebrated, May 26—Rustaveli Avenue. And we will do exactly that. We will plan it together,” Zurabishvili stated.
On April 15, the government approved an action plan for organising Independence Day events. According to the decree signed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, instead of Rustaveli Avenue, the official celebrations on May 26 will take place at Orbeliani Square and Alexander Garden
Opposition Party Leaders Meet with OSCE Secretary General
Leaders of the United National Movement, the Coalition for a Strong Georgia, and the Gakharia–For Georgia Party met with OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu to discuss the political situation in Georgia.
Following the meeting, opposition leaders issued public statements.
“We reiterate our position—which we also shared with the OSCE Secretary General, that any such international visit is often used by the government as a tool for propaganda and self-legitimation,” said Tina Bokuchava, leader of the United National Movement. “During the meeting, we once again voiced the common demand of the Georgian people and democratic forces: the need for new, democratic, and free parliamentary elections.”
Badri Japaridze, a leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, noted that the meeting also addressed Georgia’s democratic backsliding and the issue of political prisoners.
“First and foremost, the OSCE is a security-focused organisation, and the occupation of Georgian territories presents a major challenge to our national security—this was a key point of discussion. We also emphasised the current democratic regression in Georgia, the existence of political prisoners, and the government’s failure to consider any of the OSCE/ODIHR’s official findings related to the 2024 elections. In fact, legislation has been adopted that directly contradicts those conclusions—an issue of serious concern to the OSCE,” Japaridze stated.
The court imposed a 50,000-GEL Bail on Giorgi Vashadze for failing to appear before the investigative commission
Giorgi Vashadze, one of the leaders of the Unity Coalition – National Movement, has been granted bail in the amount of 50,000 GEL as a preventive measure for failing to appear before the temporary investigative commission tasked with examining the activities of the former government.
At the session, the prosecution formally requested that the court impose the 50,000-GEL bail. Vashadze stated that he would decide, together with his team, whether to pay the bail.
The Georgian Dream–led investigative commission had summoned Vashadze to appear at its session on April 11. However, he refused to attend.
Vashadze is not the only opposition leader facing such measures. Leaders of the Coalition for a Strong Georgia, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, have already been issued 50,000-GEL bail for similar reasons. Other opposition figures have also faced bail decisions: former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili was granted a 20,000-GEL bail; Givi Targamadze received a 10,000-GEL bail; Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, a leader of the Coalition for Change, was granted a 20,000-GEL bail; and another leader from the coalition, Nika Gvaramia, received a 30,000-GEL bail.
Opposition parties have condemned the newly established commission, labelling it a tool of political repression aimed at silencing dissent. Critics argue that one of the commission’s primary objectives is to divert public attention from the current political climate and the Georgian Dream government’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies by refocusing discourse on the United National Movement’s time in power.