The ruling Georgian Dream party has intensified its crackdown on opposition figures, sentencing at least eight prominent politicians to prison terms ranging from seven to eight months and barring some from holding public office for two years. Key opposition leaders affected include Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze of Lelo – Strong Georgia, Giorgi Vashadze of Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Nika Gvaramia of the Coalition for Change, former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, and former MP Givi Targamadze. The sentences are linked to their refusal to cooperate with a parliamentary investigative commission established by the ruling party. Additionally, civil society activists have faced fines, and a young protester, Giorgi Mindadze, was sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting a police officer during protests. Critics describe these actions as a severe erosion of democratic norms and free speech protections in Georgia, with international voices calling for respect for pluralism and warning of authoritarian consolidation. The Georgian government maintains its commitment to European integration but denies intentions of allowing a Western-style revolution. The crackdown follows a contested election and has drawn comparisons to authoritarian regimes.