Amnesty International has called on Georgian authorities to immediately release opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria and review her prison sentence, describing the case as politically motivated and disproportionate.
Khoshtaria, the leader of the opposition party Droa, was sentenced by Tbilisi City Court on March 24 to one year and six months in prison. The ruling was based on Article 187(1) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns property damage resulting in substantial harm.
The charges stem from an incident on September 14, 2025, when Khoshtaria wrote the phrase “Russian Dream” with a marker on election posters of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s Tbilisi mayoral candidate. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the damage was assessed at 570 GEL (approximately 210 USD).
Reacting to the verdict, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said the punishment was excessive for a non-violent act of protest.
“For a symbolic act of protest — writing barely visible graffiti on a street poster — Elene Khoshtaria will spend a year and a half in prison. This is yet another example of the criminal justice system being instrumentalized to punish dissent,” he said.
Krivosheev stressed that criminal sanctions for minor, non-violent offences committed while peacefully expressing dissent represent a disproportionate restriction on freedom of expression and should not result in imprisonment.
He further noted that the severity of the sentence appears linked not to material damage, but to Khoshtaria’s political views and the symbolic nature of her protest against the ruling party.
“The authorities must immediately release her, review her sentence — in particular by quashing the prison term — and end all politically motivated trials without delay,” he added.
Khoshtaria has stated that her action was an expression of solidarity with activist Megi Diasamidze, who had been detained days earlier for a similar protest. Diasamidze has since been released on bail, while her case remains ongoing.
Amnesty International also pointed to a broader context of ongoing protests in Georgia, particularly following the widely disputed parliamentary elections of October 2025. According to the organization, authorities have responded with increasing repression, including arbitrary arrests, criminal prosecutions, and restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
The statement adds to growing international scrutiny of Georgia’s political and judicial processes amid continued tensions between the government and opposition groups.
Header image: RFE/RL
