Georgians Mark 200 Days of Ongoing Protests as Illegitimate, Thin-Skinned MPs Punish Critics

6/15/2025

By: Daniel Miller

Today marks the 200th straight night of protests in Tbilisi and across the country by people who are demanding that the illegitimate regime hold a new round of parliamentary elections and the release of the increasing number of political prisoners. A few notable events have occurred over the past few weeks in response to the ongoing defiance by the protesters. 

Activist Mariam Geguchadze posted on Twitter that she and other activists, journalists, and politicians were recently issued court summons because they had just been labeled “EU agents” by the regime. According to a draconian law passed a year ago that was recently amended to include broader language and harsher punishments, if an individual or public entity must register as a foreign agent if they receive more than 20 percent of funding or income from a foreign country. This includes digital nomads posting political opinions critical of the regime on social media if they are inside the country.  

Member of Parliament Mariam Lashkhi has shown just how thin-skinned she really is by having two teenage girls jailed for publicly calling her a Russian slave a couple weeks ago. Ten more people are now facing trial as I am writing for calling her the same thing on social media. 

Tina Bokuchava, Chair for the UNM Georgia opposition party, told reporters that her husband Kote Ioseliani was “kidnapped, blindfolded, and threatened with his three children,” forcing him to apologize for comments he made seven years ago on social media about Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son. Ivanishvili serves as the de facto ruler of the country and is the financier behind the Georgian Dream party.