Georgia court hears bid to ban five opposition parties

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Georgia’s Constitutional Court began hearing a case in Batumi on October 21, 2026, seeking to declare five opposition parties’ activities unconstitutional and ban them. The court’s opening-day decisions concerned how the case would proceed, not whether the requested bans should be imposed.

Constitutional Claim No. 1979 lists 88 members of parliament as plaintiffs. The five respondent parties are:

• Unity – National Movement
• Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa
• Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom!
• The Federalist Party
• Gakharia for Georgia

What the plaintiffs are asking the court to do i

The plaintiffs ask the court to find that the parties’ activities violate Article 23(3) of Georgia’s Constitution and to ban them under Article 23(4). They allege that the parties have sought to overthrow or forcibly change the constitutional order. The claim also raises grounds concerning independence and territorial integrity in relation to Unity – National Movement. These are allegations for the court to assess, not findings that it has made.

The case began with a challenge to three opposition groups brought by Georgian Dream and was later expanded to include five. That change widened the number of political associations directly facing the requested bans. The proceedings concern the parties named as respondents; the opening-day rulings did not themselves ban their leaders or members.

Opening-day rulings were procedural i

The court scheduled hearings for October 21, 22 and 23, beginning at noon each day in Batumi. On the first day, it rejected recusal motions from the United National Movement and Lelo–Strong Georgia, declined For Georgia’s request to have its case considered separately, and rejected requests to summon witnesses.

Those decisions determine issues such as who hears the case, whether claims are considered together and what evidence or testimony is requested. They do not decide whether the plaintiffs have established grounds for banning the parties. As of October 21, the court had announced no decision on that central question.

Political arguments and the decision timetable i

Opposition leaders reject the accusations and say the case is intended to remove political competitors ahead of Georgia’s 2028 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the case, saying the question is whether the parties’ policies are inherently unconstitutional, rather than how much electoral support they have. A Transparency International Georgia representative said the lawsuit had not established constitutional grounds for bans.

Coalition for Change leader Zurab Girchi Japaridze warned that a ruling for the plaintiffs could expose opposition leaders to prison or exile and prevent people on opposition electoral lists from participating in politics. That is his warning about possible consequences, not a consequence ordered by the court.

Reuters reported that a decision is due by June 2027 and would be final and not appealable within Georgia. Until the court rules, the five requested bans remain unresolved.

Sources

• Constitutional Court opens hearings on lawsuit to ban five opposition parties, Georgian Public Broadcaster, 1TV
• Live Updates | Constitutional Court Hears Opposition Ban Case, Civil.ge
• Georgian court begins hearing lawsuit seeking ban on major opposition parties, Reuters, syndicated by MarketScreener
• apnews.com
• 1tv.ge

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