Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections offered a front-row seat to the erosion of democratic values. As a long-term election observer for the International Republican Institute (IRI), I witnessed the chilling realities of state capture, a process driven by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party under the shadow of billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. The events unfolding in Georgia are emblematic of how Russian influence insidiously dismantles democratic institutions, possibly transforming a once pro-Western nation into a cautionary tale.
This is not just Georgia’s story—it is a call to action for the United States to recognize the urgency of supporting embattled democracies on Russia’s periphery, especially as Ukraine fights on the front lines of freedom.
Georgia’s plight is the culmination of decades of Russian strategy. Moscow has relied on economic dependency, disinformation, and political manipulation to maintain its grip on former Soviet states. Ivanishvili, a billionaire with deep ties to Russia, has been central to this playbook. Officially returning to politics following a 2021 resignation, his influence over the ruling party remains pervasive. Policies under his guidance have stalled Georgia’s European Union aspirations, undermined NATO integration, and eroded Georgian’s trust in state institutions.
During the campaign period and on Election Day, GD manipulated state institutions to skew the playing field. Opposition parties were systematically surveilled, intimidated, and excluded from critical decision-making processes. Election commissions, dominated by ruling-party loyalists, dismissed legitimate complaints, and vote-buying schemes were widespread, particularly targeting socially vulnerable groups and minorities. The veneer of legality around these actions mirrors tactics perfected in Russia: technical compliance with election procedures while ensuring outcomes serve authoritarian goals.
The aftermath of the elections saw unprecedented violence against peaceful protesters challenging the results. Reports of police brutality reveal the lengths to which GD will go to silence dissent. A 22-year-old man remains in critical condition after being struck in the eye by a gas canister. Over 300 people were detained in Tbilisi, many suffering concussions, broken jaws, and other severe injuries. Detainees have described brutal beatings inside police minibuses, where officers took turns assaulting them, hurling insults, and even threatening sexual violence.
One protester recounted how an open gas canister was thrown into a minibus full of injured detainees, forcing them to inhale toxic fumes while restrained. Hospitals like Ingorokva have been overwhelmed, discharging patients prematurely to make room for others battered by riot police111.
These actions, cloaked in the rhetoric of “maintaining order,” are part of an evolving playbook for authoritarian regimes. They aim to suppress dissent while avoiding the overt appearances of crackdowns that might provoke international condemnation.
On the ground, the systemic manipulation by GD was palpable. From threatening calls from government employees pressuring votes for GD during the campaign period to intimidation outside of polling stations, it became clear that democracy in Georgia is being systematically dismantled. Ivanishvili’s grip is not just political; it’s societal. The ruling party controls public resources, manipulates state narratives, and uses law enforcement as a tool of suppression.
This state capture erodes public trust and is dismantling civil society and independent media. Georgia is becoming a textbook case of how Russian influence can transform a democratic system into an authoritarian regime without firing a shot.
Georgia’s struggle is not isolated. It is a frontline in the broader battle for democracy against authoritarian forces. If the West allows Georgia to fall completely into Russia’s orbit, it will embolden malign actors worldwide and weaken the global democratic order.
The United States must prioritize targeted sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and GD leaders complicit in election manipulation and human rights abuses. Measures like freezing assets, travel bans, and broader financial restrictions will hit the ruling elite where it hurts most. While civil society funding and independent media support are critical in many contexts, Georgia’s captured institutions leave sanctions as the most effective tool to pressure those in power.
Additionally, the U.S. must increase diplomatic engagement with Georgia’s opposition leaders, amplifying their calls for transparency and fair governance. This is not just about supporting one nation’s aspirations for freedom; it is about demonstrating that the U.S. still stands resolute in defending democracy worldwide.
The courage of Georgian citizens who took to the streets, despite the risks, underscores their unwavering commitment to democracy. But their fight cannot succeed without meaningful international support. Georgia is a critical piece in the puzzle of Eastern Europe’s stability. Its fall would reverberate far beyond its borders.
The Biden administration and Congress must make it clear that the United States stands with the Georgian people and understands that action now prevents wars like Ukraine’s later. This means not only denouncing human rights abuses but actively holding perpetrators accountable. As Ukraine’s soldiers battle Russian tanks, Georgia’s citizens are fighting an equally important battle against authoritarianism on the home front.
Their decades-long example of courage in the face of Russian aggression demands our action.
