EU Officials Condemn Arrest of Georgian Opposition Leaders as Threat to Democracy

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The turnover on current foreign exchange accounts exceeded the equivalent of 1.760 billion GEL. Of which, up to 123 million falls on Adjara. Significant activity is observed in April. In the previous month (03/2025) it was almost 2 times less - 65.5 million.In total, as of 01.05.2025, the balance on current GEL accounts of individuals who are citizens of Georgia in the region is 31.1 million, and the equivalent of 49 million GEL in foreign exchange.In total, there are 1.3 billion GEL in retail depository accounts in the country, including the equivalent of 810 million GEL in foreign exchange.According to analysts, this does not mean that the entire resource is put into circulation. Citizens may have cashed out some of it. Some of it was transferred to a term deposit account or other instrument.

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As of May, 1.054 billion GEL remains on the current accounts of foreign companies (01.04.2025 -1.231 billion), and of this, only 69 million (65.5%) are denominated in GEL.The share of foreign currency has decreased annually. In the same period last year, dollarization exceeded 88%.In April, there was a decrease of 200 million GEL on the balances.In the reporting month, the equivalent of up to 2.4 billion GEL of foreign currency was withdrawn (or transferred) from foreign currency accounts. 726 million GEL from the salary.Withdrawal should not be understood in a negative context, the company used it for a certain purpose. It may have been transferred to a deposit.

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As of the first quarter, credit investments in real estate (development; management; construction companies; construction materials) amounted to 4.843 billion GEL (Q1/2024 – 4.067 billion + 19%Y.Y).“For the Bank of Georgia, the construction development sector holds a significant share in our portfolio. Supporting businesses and providing them with a reliable partnership is our main priority. And we do not stop and continue to support businesses,”- said Giorgi Sakhvadze, Head of Corporate Sales at the Bank of Georgia, during the launch of one of the new $7 million development projects (Tower Ketevan).The BOG also prioritizes investing in strategic energy projects for the country. The importance of new generation facilities was highlighted in a new G&T study, which analyzes all the issues to consider when investing: generation, consumption and price trends, export opportunities... Lending to the aforementioned sector has increased by 18.3%.

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According to the census data, as of November 14, 2024, 2,423 thousand people (62 percent) live in urban settlements, and 1,491 thousand people (38 percent) - in rural settlements. The share of the population living in urban settlements, by regions (except Tbilisi) is high in the Adjara A.R. (66 percent), which is due to the high number of Batumi population, and is low in Mtskheta-Mtianeti (20 percent), Kakheti (21 percent) and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (24 percent) regions.According to the census data, 34 percent of the country's population lives in Tbilisi. The second and third largest regions in terms of population are Imereti and Kvemo Kartli, with 12.9 and 11.2 percent of the population, respectively.The 2024 Population and Agricultural Census of Georgia was conducted from November 14 to December 31, 2024. Census covered the entire territory of the country, except for the occupied territories.

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The position of Minister of Economy has been filled by Mariam Kvrivishvili, who previously served as Davitashvili’s Deputy Minister.“We are all happy at the Ministry of Economy that a new stage is beginning in the life of the ministry,” Davitashvili stated during the announcement, expressing gratitude to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s honorary chairman, and offering his best wishes to his successor.Kvrivishvili thanked Prime Minister Kobakhidze for his confidence in her appointment, calling it a “great honor” to serve Georgia in this capacity.“All the knowledge and experience I have accumulated while working at the Ministry of Economy will help me to successfully complete ongoing projects, set new plans, and continue the economic growth of our country,” she said.Levan Davitashvili has held the post of Minister of Economy since February 2022, and served as Vice Prime Minister since July 2021. Prior to this, he led the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture from 2016 to 2022.Mariam Kvrivishvili has been Deputy Minister of Economy since 2021. She is a member of the Georgian Dream Political Council and has been involved in tourism and civil aviation development during her tenure at the ministry.

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The ruling was delivered on June 24 by Judge Nino Galustashvili, despite a request from Vashadze’s legal team to postpone the session so the defendant could deliver a final statement. Vashadze did not attend the court hearing and instead awaited the verdict at his party’s headquarters, where he was joined by political allies and Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili.The charges stem from Vashadze’s failure to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission established by the ruling Georgian Dream party. He was prosecuted under Article 349 of the Criminal Code, which penalizes noncompliance with such a summons and carries a sentence of up to one year in prison or a ban from public service for up to three years. Vashadze had previously posted 50,000 GEL bail, which was paid within the legal deadline.The verdict against Vashadze follows a wave of similar rulings targeting high-profile opposition leaders. On June 23, the court sentenced Lelo party leaders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze to eight months in prison, also banning them from holding office for two years. The two were detained outside their party office and handcuffed in public, prompting strong domestic and international criticism.Also sentenced on June 23 was Zurab Girchi Japaridze, leader of the “For Change” coalition, who received the same 7-month prison sentence and a two-year political disqualification.The coordinated sentencing of opposition figures has triggered concern among civil society organizations, with 40 NGOs recently warning that Georgia is "sliding toward authoritarianism." International voices, including UK Minister of State Stephen Dowty, have called for the immediate release of political prisoners and urged the ruling party to cease suppressing dissent.As more verdicts loom and protests intensify, observers warn that these developments could have a chilling effect on Georgia’s democratic institutions and further strain the country’s relationship with Western partners.

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In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Dowty criticized the imprisonment of Mamuka Khazaradze, Badri Japaridze, and Zurab Girchi Japaridze, labeling their detention a “step taken to block electoral competitors.”“The imprisonment of influential opposition politicians in Georgia for boycotting parliament is a step taken to block their competitors in the elections,” Dowty wrote.On June 23, Tbilisi City Court sentenced Lelo party leaders Khazaradze and Japaridze to 8 months in prison, along with a 2-year ban from holding public office. Both were detained outside their party headquarters and escorted in handcuffs.The same day, Zurab Japaridze, leader of the “For Change” coalition, was also sentenced to 7 months in prison and similarly barred from holding public office for two years. All three politicians were convicted for refusing to appear before a parliamentary investigative commission, established by the Georgian Dream majority and chaired by Vice Prime Minister Tea Tsulukiani.They were charged under Article 349 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which penalizes noncompliance with parliamentary commission requests and is punishable by a fine, imprisonment for up to one year, or disqualification from public office for up to three years.On June 24, the Tbilisi City Court is expected to deliver its verdict in the case of Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party. Vashadze, who also declined to appear before the same commission, has chosen not to attend the court hearing and will instead await the ruling at his party office, where opposition leaders and former President Salome Zurabishvili have gathered in solidarity.Vashadze, who faces identical charges, was released earlier on 50,000 GEL bail, which he paid on time.

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