High-Stakes Drama: Georgian Opposition Leaders Face Charges Amid Political Turmoil

In a startling turn of events, Georgian prosecutors initiated criminal proceedings against eight key opposition figures on Thursday, accusing them of advocating for regime change and collaborating with foreign powers. Among those charged is former President Mikheil Saakashvili, along with seven notable figures representing the nation's three main opposition coalitions.

The charges come as the European Union, which Georgia hopes to join, and human rights organizations express growing concern over the ruling Georgian Dream party's clampdown on dissent and deviation from its pro-Western trajectory since its independence from Moscow in 1991. Prosecutors allege that the eight figures engaged in sabotage, backed foreign interests hostile to Georgia, and incited the overthrow of the government.

Specific accusations involve three politicians allegedly supplying information about Georgia's economic and security relations with Russia to unspecified foreign governments, potentially paving the way for international sanctions. Tensions heightened as Georgian Dream declared plans to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court, seeking to ban the three involved parties, citing them as a "real threat to the constitutional order."