Elene Khoshtaria

Elene Khoshtaria was detained on 15 September 2025 after writing protest slogans on election campaign banners belonging to the ruling party's candidate. She was charged under Article 187, Part 1 for property damage (up to 5 years). The judge imposed bail of 5,000 GEL, which she refused to pay as an act of political protest.

In November 2025, a broader criminal case was launched against several opposition politicians. Khoshtaria was charged under Article 318 (sabotage), Article 319 (assisting hostile foreign activities), and Article 321 prima (financing actions against constitutional order).

According to the prosecution, Khoshtaria and others provided personal data of public officials to foreign representatives for the purpose of triggering sanctions, resulting in approximately 300 Georgian citizens being sanctioned. She is not participating in the court proceedings as a form of protest.

On March 24, 2026, Tbilisi City Court, presided over by Judge Giorgi Arevadze, sentenced Khoshtaria to one year and six months in prison under Article 187(1) for property damage. The conviction relates to the September 14, 2025 incident in which she wrote 'Russian Dream' on an election banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze near his campaign headquarters. The prosecution assessed the damage at 570 GEL (approximately 210 USD). Khoshtaria refused to attend the sentencing hearing and did not participate in any stage of the proceedings, describing the case as illegitimate. Having been in custody since September 15, 2025, she is expected to serve approximately one more year. Amnesty International condemned the sentence as politically motivated, calling it a disproportionate restriction of freedom of expression. The European Parliament had previously adopted a resolution on March 12, 2026 titled 'The case of Elene Khoshtaria and political prisoners under the Georgian Dream regime.' Her separate charges for sabotage (Art. 318), assisting hostile foreign activities (Art. 319), and financing actions against constitutional order (Art. 321¹) remain ongoing.