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Georgia’s Constitutional Court has rejected an opposition motion to summon witnesses and obtain documents in a case seeking to ban five political parties. Hearings continued in Batumi on Thursday, AnewZ reported, as criticism from Germany and other international partners intensified.
The ruling was issued on the second day of hearings. Tensions have deepened over the legal dispute between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition, and its potential impact on democracy.
Germany has warned that the case could further damage Georgia’s relations with the European Union. Georgian Dream has accused international officials of interfering in the country’s judicial process.
Constitutional Court Chairman Revaz Nadaraia said the seven-judge panel had unanimously rejected the motion, finding that the requested evidence was not necessary at this stage. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.
Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, asked the court to obtain documents from government bodies, summon witnesses and allow the opposition to review evidence before substantive arguments begin. He also sought to have any evidence the defense could not access excluded from consideration.
Georgian Dream lawmaker and parliamentary Legal Issues Committee Chairman Archil Gorduladze opposed the motion, accusing the opposition of trying to delay proceedings and undermine the court’s authority. He said granting the request would effectively turn the Constitutional Court into an investigative body.
Gvaramia, in turn, said Georgian Dream itself had submitted the findings of a parliamentary investigative commission as evidence in the case.
Opposition raises issue of political pressure on court
During the hearing, Badri Japaridze, one of the leaders of Lelo – Strong Georgia, clashed with Nadaraia over public statements by Georgian Dream representatives that opposition parties would soon be banned.
Japaridze said such statements could damage public trust by creating the impression that the court’s ruling had been predetermined. “The greatest insult is that their leader has declared that only a few days remain before the parties are dissolved,” he said.
Nadaraia dismissed concerns about outside influence, saying he could not assess political statements made outside the courtroom. He stressed that judges were not under pressure and that their decisions could not be influenced.
Japaridze also urged the court to seek an opinion from the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that an attempt to dissolve five separate political organizations in a single case was unprecedented.
Gorduladze acknowledged that the proceedings were unusual but alleged that the parties had acted collectively in violation of Article 23 of Georgia’s Constitution, which regulates political parties.
Germany warns EU ties could deteriorate
Germany has joined international partners in criticizing the lawsuit. Berlin warned that the case could push Georgia further away from the European Union and weaken democratic standards.
German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said on Wednesday that Berlin was following the case with concern and considered the use of the judicial system for political purposes “extremely problematic.” She said Berlin would convey its concerns directly to the Georgian authorities.
Before her remarks, Gudrun Kugler, vice president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, had urged Georgia to withdraw the lawsuit. Kugler stressed that political competition should be settled through the ballot box and democratic debate, not by using courts to eliminate opponents. She added that banning political parties was an exceptional measure requiring the highest legal and democratic standards.
Georgia, a member of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, was granted EU candidate status in December 2023. However, its accession process has effectively stalled amid growing concerns about democratic backsliding.
Ruling party calls lawsuit a constitutional measure
Georgian Dream has defended the lawsuit as a lawful constitutional measure aimed at protecting the country’s political system. The ruling party accuses five opposition groups of undermining Georgia’s constitutional order and cites the findings of a parliamentary investigative commission examining alleged abuses during the rule of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili condemned criticism from foreign officials, saying lawmakers had a constitutional right to challenge the legality of political parties.
He said international statements made before the court had considered the merits of the case amounted to pressure on the judiciary and threatened its independence.
Georgian Dream lawmaker Irakli Tcheishvili also accused the OSCE of trying to influence an independent court. He said the ruling party had presented sufficient evidence to support the lawsuit and accused international partners of applying double standards.
The opposition has rejected the accusations, calling the case a political attempt to silence dissent. Grigol Gegelia, foreign relations secretary of Lelo – Strong Georgia, said banning the parties could have consequences extending beyond their members and deprive voters of the political representatives they had chosen.
Japaridze stressed that the five parties had different histories, identities and political positions, making it difficult to justify banning them all together.
The Federalist Party said it would not take part in the hearings because it considered the proceedings politically motivated and believed its participation could lend them legitimacy. Representatives of the other four parties attended court.
Hearings are scheduled to resume on Friday, October 23. The case targets five political forces: Unity – National Movement, the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo, the Federalist Party and Gakharia for Georgia.
The lawsuit, backed by 88 signatures from Georgian Dream lawmakers, seeks to have the five parties declared unconstitutional and banned. The court has not yet issued a final ruling and has until June 2027 to decide.
With Georgia’s relations with its Western partners already strained, the outcome could have broad implications for political competition, judicial independence and the country’s democratic future.
