A Georgian court on July 10 handed a 13-year prison term to Aleko Elisashvili, an opposition politician and founder of the Citizens party, after convicting him of attempted terrorism for an incident at Tbilisi City Court in November 2025.
The court found that Elisashvili entered the chancellery building of Tbilisi City Court by breaking a window with a hammer, poured gasoline inside and attempted to ignite the premises. He was convicted on an attempted terrorism charge related to that episode.
Elisashvili has maintained his innocence and said he was acting as a form of protest. According to reporting from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian service, in his final address to the court he said:
"I wanted to spit in the face of this government, to show that they cannot oppress us."
In court proceedings he pleaded not guilty and framed his actions as protest against what he described as a government crackdown on the opposition. The sentencing follows the November 2025 incident as detailed by the court.
Context within Georgia's political landscape
The conviction and sentence occur against a backdrop of mounting political tension in Georgia. Government critics say the country - once regarded as among the most democratic and pro-Western of the Soviet successor states - has become increasingly authoritarian since the start of the war in Ukraine. The article reports that several opposition politicians are currently in prison.
Elisashvili’s Citizens party is part of a wider political grouping facing the prospect of an outright ban by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The ruling party has accused opposition forces of attempting to foment violent coups, allegations that figure into the broader dispute between the government and opposition groups.
Relations with the European Union, an entity Georgia aspires to join, have also come under strain amid concerns about democratic backsliding, the article states. It was not immediately clear from reporting whether Elisashvili intends to appeal the conviction and sentence.
Key points
- Aleko Elisashvili was sentenced to 13 years after being convicted of attempted terrorism for an incident at Tbilisi City Court in November 2025.
- Elisashvili pleaded not guilty and said his actions were a protest against a government crackdown on the opposition; he defended his actions in a final address to the court.
- The case takes place amid reports of an increasingly authoritarian trajectory in Georgia, imprisonment of several opposition politicians, a possible ban on a political grouping that includes Elisashvili’s party, and strained ties with the European Union.
Risks and uncertainties
- Unclear legal recourse - reporting states it was not immediately clear whether Elisashvili will appeal the conviction and 13-year sentence.
- Political escalation - the potential ban on the political grouping that includes the Citizens party and the imprisonment of several opposition figures represent ongoing political uncertainty.
- International relations - reported strain in ties with the European Union over concerns about democratic backsliding creates uncertainty for Georgia’s international commitments and aspirations.