Statements

On August 11, 2024, during the opening of the regional office of the "Coalition for Change" party in Samtredia, Nika Melia, one of the party's leaders, was physically assaulted. According to media reports, the attack occurred while Melia was responding to journalists' questions following the office opening. The assailant verbally and physically abused him. 

On August 3 in Batumi, an attempt was made to disrupt the pre-election campaign of the "Gakharia for Georgia" party. During a street meeting with voters, the party's leader, Giorgi Gakharia, faced verbal aggression from several individuals. Notably, among the instigators were employees of budgetary organizations and members / activists of "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia."  

These incidents are particularly concerning as they were preceded by a statement made by the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, on July 26. In his statement, Papuashvili asserted that "the opposition will be confronted, no matter where they go, be it in any city, village, or district." Such rhetoric from a senior official of the ruling party fosters an environment of violence and undermines the fairness of the pre-election period. 

To ensure free and fair elections, it is crucial that political parties are allowed to conduct their campaigns under equal conditions and in a violence-free environment. 

ISFED calls for:

• A thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies into the violent incident(s) and appropriate actions to be taken; 

• Leaders of the ruling party to refrain from making statements that could incite violence or damage the election environment.