Zourabichvili Says Constitutional Court Has Become 'Instrument of Persecution'
By Messenger Staff
Friday, October 16, 2026
Georgia's fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, has accused the Constitutional Court of becoming an instrument of political persecution, citing the impeachment proceedings against her as an example of how the institution has abandoned its constitutional role.
Speaking during a Facebook Live session, Zourabichvili said that the court had long ceased to fulfill its intended function. She recalled that three judges issued dissenting opinions during her impeachment case, but argued that the institution no longer serves as an effective safeguard for human rights or the country's constitutional order.
"I experienced the transformation of the Constitutional Court into an instrument of persecution firsthand when impeachment proceedings were initiated against me," she said.
Zourabichvili added that, if the country had a functioning Constitutional Court, it would also have a functioning judiciary and stronger protections for fundamental rights.
"If we had a genuine Constitutional Court, we would have a functioning judiciary, and, more broadly, human rights and the country's constitutional order would have been protected. Neither of these is the case today," she said.
Zourabichvili also criticized Georgian Dream's efforts to ban opposition parties, questioning what the ruling party hoped to achieve when political activity and opposition parties were already subject to severe restrictions.
She said the move appeared to have little practical purpose beyond signaling the government's readiness to introduce further repressive legislation.
"Members of Georgian Dream are acting on a whim. They have decided to ban these political parties, even though political activity and political parties were already so severely restricted that it is hard to imagine what they hope to achieve now, why they feel the need for this, or what imaginary enemies they are fighting," Zourabichvili said.
She argued that the proposed ban would further distance Georgia from the European Union and its Western partners, potentially prompting a response from Brussels and deepening the country's international isolation.
According to Zourabichvili, the move would serve Russia's interests by weakening Georgia's ties with Europe.
Zourabichvili also warned that banning opposition parties would damage Georgia's international reputation, comparing the proposed measure to restrictions imposed under Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini's fascist regime in Italy. She also cited Belarus as a country that has banned political opponents.
"There is no justification for this; there is no basis whatsoever," she said, arguing that only a small number of countries had taken such measures and that Georgia would be joining a group with which it should not want to be associated.
Zourabichvili questioned whether Georgian Dream's actions were consistent with its stated goal of strengthening Georgia's national identity and international standing. She also suggested that supporters of the ruling party might begin questioning the direction the country was taking.
"I am curious to hear the views of those who have supported Georgian Dream until now. Perhaps they, too, are beginning to ask questions: what kind of company are we joining following such decisions, and what purpose does this discrediting of Georgia serve?" she said.
She stressed that the proposed ban would do little to change the domestic political situation but would leave Georgia looking worse in the eyes of the international community.
Zourabichvili further argued that Russia, despite imposing extensive restrictions on its political opponents, had not gone as far as introducing a comparable ban.
"Even Russia did not impose a ban in this manner. While Russia has restricted many rights for all its opponents, it has not gone so far as to issue a ban like this. We are, it seems, 'tougher' than that," she stated.
