Ryan Tedder, the American lead singer of the band OneRepublic, is mastering the Azerbaijani language, Azernews reports.
Day: May 23, 2025
A member of the European Union Delegation to Georgia was denied entry at Tbilisi International Airport on May 21, the EU Delegation confirmed with Civil.ge.
Simon Vanderbroucke, the delegation’s enlargement program officer, was the diplomat who was turned away at the border, according to earlier reports in the local media before the EU Delegation confirmed the incident.
“The denial of entry to a duly accredited member of the EU Delegation contravenes the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and other applicable norms, which Georgia is bound to respect,” the EU Delegation said.
“A Note Verbale has been addressed to the Georgian MFA on this matter. The Georgian authorities have presented oral apologies for the regrettable incident and confirmed that the staff member is welcome to come back to his place of posting.”
This incident follows a pattern of entry denials involving activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and politicians. However, this is the first reported case involving an EU diplomat, and it comes amid the Georgian Dream government’s increasing criticism of and targeting of Western diplomats.
Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed that the entry denial was due to a “technical problem” and insisted that the incident was “unintentional.”
“This was not intentional. It was a mistake, and we clarified [with the EU Delegation] that this individual can enter Georgia and enjoy the diplomatic privileges designated by the Vienna Convention and other relevant legal norms. Therefore, the incident is over, and I don’t think it’s worth discussing further,” he told reporters, declining to elaborate on the details.
NOTE: This news article was updated at 3:23 p.m. on May 23 to include Aleksandre Darakhvelidze’s comment.
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On May 22, the Tbilisi City Court ruled on the pre-trial detention of Zurab Japaridze, leader of the opposition party Girchi – More Freedom. The decision followed an escalating story, where Japaridze, who, like most opposition leaders, does not recognize the legitimacy of the parliament elected on October 26, 2024, refused to appear before the parliamentary commission probing alleged crimes committed during the previous United National Movement (UNM) government. Japaridze’s final words while handcuffed in the courtroom were: “In the end, we will win.”
The hearing was marked by significant affluence among the public and media, who were tightly shadowed by the police, who also turned out in force. Only around 15 individuals were allowed inside the courtroom, and no TV cameras were permitted. Diplomats from the Czech and Swedish embassies and a representative from Amnesty International attended the courtroom hearing. Their colleagues from Germany and the United States were turned away, reportedly due to space limitations.
Civil.ge has compiled a selection of remarks from domestic officials regarding Zurab Japaridze’s detention.
Resistance Platform
Salome Zurabishvili, President of Georgia, speaking on behalf of the Resistance Platform: “Today marked yet another very shameful day for the Georgian Dream. What they arranged — this police attack on the court, practically letting no one in, moving it to a small courtroom, everything they attempted, and […] that Zurab Japaridze [was] placed in pre-trial detention is shameful. It has no connection whatsoever with justice. This is a purely political case […]. This [parliamentary] investigative commission [was created] not to investigate crimes of the previous regime, but to create a means to arrest exactly those political leaders they want to see in prison. […] This is yet another sign of [Georgian Dream’s] weakness — that they no longer know in what direction or how far to take the repression. Every regime that, under such conditions, resorts to such repression is doomed to end. We need endurance, but we must know that today’s verdict is a verdict delivered on the Georgian Dream.”
Opposition Leaders
Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change and one of Japaridze’s defense attorneys, said, “Today this was already too much. […] Nothing will change unless the oligarchy is overthrown. […] The regime stands only on arrests and fear. Rationalisation is unnecessary – we must say clearly: overthrowing the oligarchy is the task. […] As long as the oligarchy exists, such decisions will continue. From now on, the repressive attitude [of the ruling party] toward society will only get worse, not better.”
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Strong Georgia: “Zura is, for me, an example of justice and friendship! My full support goes to Zura in his fight against the Russian regime — a fight that will inevitably end in victory! Freedom for Japhara! Freedom for political prisoners! Fight until the end!”
Tina Bokuchava, leader of Unity-UNM: “ I met [Zurab Japaridze] in 2012. Back then, we both became members of parliament through the United National Movement’s party list. We probably both believed that the Russian [Bidzina] Ivanishvili couldn’t win the elections, and I was planning to continue working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Zura would take care of the country’s economic reforms. And yet we found ourselves in the opposition — and here we are to this day. He was always different from everyone else — with his humility, sincerity, and competence … I know for sure — he’s afraid of nothing, and even from prison, he will say only one thing — the same thing he says outside: Unite to save the country. And maybe now, finally, others in the opposition will think also that unity is the only path to survival.”
Gakharia for Georgia: “We wish Zurab Girchi Japaridze and his family strength. All political prisoners of the [Georgian] Dream will soon be free!”
Georgian Dream Officials
GD-elected president, Mikheil Kavelashvili: “Now, what is Japaridze doing and why is he doing it? Why didn’t he do something grandiose before to oppose this government, saying they’re leading the country toward Russia? And what is he planning, how is he planning it? Is it about creating an impression, whether he pays [bail] or not, to show what a cool guy he is? […] There’s nothing to suggest that [his arrest] is a political decision. The state has an obligation to respond, that’s all. What is this intended for? So they can shout, Look, they arrested a politician! Look how despotic the government is! Look how it treats political prisoners […]”
Georgian Dream MP Davit Matikashvili: “The radical opposition representatives knew perfectly well that a legal provision states that if someone fails to comply with a court decision regarding bail, the Court will replace it with a stricter measure. This is a legal norm, and the radicals are fully aware of it. Not long ago, the same measure was applied in the case of Irakli Okruashvili—his bail was replaced with pretrial detention precisely for this reason. So, what are we facing here? This is a completely deliberate decision and an attempt by the radicals to stage a spectacle, and once again give their patrons grounds to speak about completely unfair and out-of-context topics as if someone is being persecuted in Georgia, and mislead the public into thinking that there is some form of persecution here. There is absolutely no persecution, this is the enforcement of a legal provision. If anyone wants to avoid such consequences in a rule-of-law state, they should act in accordance with the law,” said Matikashvili to Interpressnews.
Civil Society Organizations
Transparency International Georgia: “The illegitimate government of “Georgian Dream” has crossed yet another red line on its path toward dictatorship: the trend of arresting activists for political reasons […] has now entered an entirely new dimension. On May 22, 2025, the Tbilisi City Court imposed pre-trial detention on one of the most active opposition politicians, Zurab (Girchi) Japaridze, a leader of the political party “Coalition for Change.” […] Some time ago, a so-called Temporary Investigative Commission was formed in Georgia’s illegitimate Parliament, which is composed solely of “Georgian Dream” and its satellite political organization, “People’s Power.” The goals and objectives of this commission raise serious questions in Georgian society regarding the country’s national interests. It is precisely Japaridze’s failure to appear before this anti-state commission that has led not only to his prosecution but also to the criminal pursuit of several other opposition politicians, who may also be arrested in the near future. The strategy of “Georgian Dream” is clear: their goal is to leave the opposition political spectrum without leaders, in order to uncontestedly seize control of municipal governing bodies in the upcoming local elections in October 2025. This process renders the so-called elections a complete farce.”
More to follow…
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