(29 Jun 2025)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tbilisi – 29 June 2025
1. Protesters marching in front of parliament
2. Protesters holding banners with political prisoners marching
3. Protesters marching and changing USPOUND (Georgian) "Til the end"
4. Protesters in front of the Parliament
5. Various of protesters holding banners with jailed ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili
6. Protesters waving Georgian flag with protests on the background
7. Protest
8. 5th President Salome Zourabichvili addressing protes with members of political parties and banners showing political prisoners in the background
9. Zourabichvili addressing protest
10. Protester holding candle and EU flags
11. Mid protesters
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Salome Zourabichvili, 5th President of Georgia:
"Country is in a standoff. Nothing is happening except repression . They (ruling Georgian Dream party) have now put political leaders , almost all of them into jail , but still the protest is ongoing and the protests will go on until with unity between the parties they were all behind me today, with the protest movement , with the families of those that are jailed, unity until the regime , which is now showing signs of erosion and inner fighting until the regime dissolves itself."
13. Protest
14. Wide pan of protest
STORYLINE:
Thousand of protesters gathered in front of the Georgian parliament on Sunday to mark the beginning of the seventh month of non-stop protests calling for new parliamentary elections and the release of prisoners arrested during a government crackdown on protesters and political opponents.
Nearly all leaders of Georgia’s pro-Western opposition are now behind bars, as protests continue against the ruling Georgian Dream party and its decision last year to halt Georgia’s bid to join the European Union.
The demonstrators, who gather daily in the capital Tbilisi, also claim that the vote on October 26 that handed Georgian Dream another term in power was not free or fair.
Seven opposition figures were jailed for refusing to testify in an official inquiry investigating alleged wrongdoings by the government of ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili. Georgian Dream’s critics call it an act of political revenge.
Opposition politicians have declined to attend the commission hearings, citing their ongoing boycott of parliament following the October 26 election.
Georgian Dream’s critics say the vote was rigged with Russia’s help to hand it another term in power.
More than 50 people were imprisoned on criminal charges during the violent crackdown on mass rallies that was sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to halt EU accession talks.
The political turmoil follows a parliamentary election that was won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, although its opponents allege the vote was rigged.
Its outcome pushed Georgia further into Russia’s orbit of influence. Georgia aspired to join the European Union, but the party suspended accession talks with the bloc after the election.
As it sought to cement its grip on power, Georgian Dream has cracked down on freedom of assembly and expression in what the opposition says is similar to President Vladimir Putin’s actions in neighbouring Russia, its former imperial ruler.
AP video by Sophiko Megrelidze
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