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Zaza Shatirishvili, a pro-government commentator and philosopher associated with billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, has published another letter through Georgian government-aligned media outlets, reviving conspiracy theories about the so-called “deep state.” In the letter, Shatirishvili claimed it is now a “confirmed fact” that even U.S. President Donald Trump is controlled by the “deep state,” arguing that Trump’s supposed war against it had turned out to be “a complete farce.” “It is already clear to everyone that Donald Trump himself is directed by the deep state,” Shatirishvili wrote. “This is no longer just an opinion, but an established fact.” He argued that Trump had failed to expose “oligarchic families,” had not taken steps contradicting alleged “deep state” policies, had not fully defeated what he called the “pseudo-liberal agenda” and “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” and had failed to end military conflicts he once promised to stop. Instead, he claimed, Trump had “become an instigator of war himself” in line with the interests of a so-called “global war party.” Shatirishvili further alleged that the “deep state” was carrying out a “rebranding process” aimed at weakening Europe while preserving the United States as a global superpower. He also accused Washington of remaining silent over unspecified “inhumane events” taking place “in the middle of Europe.” According to him, the Georgian government is “obliged” to show society “the full truth,” which he described as “far more bitter and grave than the stench of decay coming from the European continent.”

Georgian celebrity journalist and media figure Nanuka Jorjoliani was jailed for three days for “obstructing pedestrian traffic” that is taking part in the daily protest on sidewalk, as Georgian Dream continues to jail protestors. Repeated “offense” may result in one year of imprisonment.

Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Dream’s one party parliament met senior Chinese Communist Party officials during an official visit to China, according to the Georgian Parliament’s press office. Papuashvili held talks with Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, as well as with Zhao Leji. According to the Georgian side, Papuashvili said Georgia and China share commitment to national sovereignty, peace, security, and the principles of international law. The Chinese side reportedly reaffirmed support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. During his meeting with Zhao Leji, Papuashvili reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to the “One China” policy and invited his Chinese counterpart to visit Georgia.

Georgian Dream announced plans to establish a special unit within the Interior Ministry tasked with monitoring and “legal response” to “hate speech,” “insulting campaigns,” and “aggressive communication” in the public sphere. Mamuka Mdinaradze, a senior representative of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ruling party, said the new division would proactively monitor public communications containing hate speech, incitement, insults, or attacks on personal dignity, and could independently refer cases to court without waiting for citizen complaints. He also suggested that administrative detention could be used in some cases if statements are deemed insulting or inciting hatred according to what he called “widely accepted international precedents.” According to Mdinaradze, the Interior Ministry unit would make the initial assessment, while courts would have the final say on whether public statements cross the line from criticism into punishable insult or hate speech.

Students from Moscow State Institute of Film perform on the stage of Rustaveli National Theatre in Tbilisi with a concert commemorating Russian propagandistic version of WWII, also performing “Katiusha” song often used to glorify the Red Army.

Georgia did not join a resolution on the creation of a special tribunal for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in Chisinau backed by 36 countries. According to the adopted text, the tribunal would investigate, prosecute and try those bearing the greatest responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The participating states and the EU also announced plans to join an expanded partial agreement regulating the tribunal’s functioning and financing. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the tribunal had now become a “legal reality” and described the decision as only “the beginning of the path toward justice.” Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset called the tribunal “a symbol of justice and hope” and said the participating states had taken a decisive step toward accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

A Georgian opposition alliance has outlined six key conditions it says are necessary for holding “free and fair elections” in the country. Speaking at a briefing, opposition representatives also renewed calls for supporters to join a planned anti-government rally on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue on May 26. The alliance’s conditions are: 1.Reform the composition of the election administration to ensure full parity between political parties. 2.Restore voting rights for Georgian emigrants abroad and simplify their participation in elections. 3.Strengthen voter verification procedures by introducing facial-recognition technology and inviting a trusted international auditing company to monitor both election technology and election-day processes. 4.Open voter lists and allow public disclosure of voter participation records. 5.Establish special judicial panels to handle election disputes, selected through broad political agreement. 6.Repeal all legislative changes adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party after the October 26, 2024 parliamentary elections. ⁠While saying it does not consider the 2024 elections legitimate, the alliance said it was prepared to use the parties that officially crossed the electoral threshold in that vote as the basis for forming a restructured election administration.

Shalva Papuashvili, speaker of Georgian Dream’s one party parliament and Bidzina Ivanishvili representative accused the European Union and the United Kingdom of attempting to “shut down free media” in Georgia after pro-government broadcaster Imedi was reportedly suspended from the European Parliament. Papuashvili described the move as part of a broader campaign by “foreign forces” against Georgian media and linked it to what he called a “hostile decision” by the UK against media outlets in Georgia. He also attacked Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, accusing her of making “fascist statements against the Georgian people.” “Since they cannot carry out these threats in other ways, they are now trying small-scale attacks against free media within their narrow circle,” Papuashvili said. The Georgian parliament speaker also criticized EU-funded NGOs and media organizations, claiming Brussels had spent “hundreds of thousands of euros” to damage the reputation of the Georgian parliament.

Alexi 'Buka' Petriashvili, Georgia’s former state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has been sentenced to three days in detention over a protest-related “offense,” as Georgian Dream continues to jail scores of protestors for protesting on sidewalk. Judge Tornike Kapanadze announced the ruling on Monday, after which Petriashvili was handcuffed in the courtroom. The Interior Ministry had accused Petriashvili of “artificially” obstructing pedestrian movement while standing on the sidewalk outside the Georgian parliament during a protest on December 17 last year.

Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream PM and representative of Bidzina Ivanishvili said his government would consider requests to pardon jailed anti-government protesters only where there is “repentance” and acknowledgment of guilt. Responding to questions about calls from representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church to pardon political prisoners, Kobakhidze said: “Where there is repentance, where there is acknowledgment of the crime, we will have a corresponding request.” The Georgian prime minister claimed previous arrests linked to alleged attempts at “violent revolution” had failed to deter further unrest because the state’s response had not been strong enough. “Repentance is unconditionally important,” Kobakhidze said.

Irakli Zarkua, an MP in Georgian Dream’s one party parliament, questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying his presidential term had expired and accusing him of refusing to hold elections. “I don’t know whether he is legitimate or illegitimate, because his term has expired,” Zarkua said, according to Interpressnews. “They are telling him to hold elections, but he is not holding them.” Zarkua also claimed that wartime elections had precedent elsewhere and argued that if there was political will, democratic elections could still be conducted despite the war. The Georgian Dream MP further said that Zelensky would have to speak to Georgia “modestly,” adding that “this is what happens to every leader without self-respect, authority, and artificially installed — leader in quotation marks.”

Student Tatia Chelidze is jailed for "obstructing pedestrian traffic" that is protest on sidewalk as Georgian Dream continues to jail peaceful protestors which continues despite repressions. Repeat "offence" of this kind may result in up to one year in prison.

Georgia’s pro-government broadcaster Imedi TV says the European Parliament has barred it from operating on its premises for one year. The channel reported on May 13 that it received official notice of the decision, linking it to a recent report and an attempt to interview MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, as well as objections raised by MEP Markéta Gregorová. Imedi also said Moldovan authorities denied accreditation to cover a Council of Europe meeting to several pro-government Georgian outlets, including Rustavi 2 and POSTV, citing the spread of misleading information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Georgian Dream’s one party parliament Speaker and Bidzina Ivanishvili representative Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused the European Union of pursuing “cold, calculated political plans” in Georgia, claiming Brussels is using the country as an instrument against Russia. Papuashvili said there was “no chance” that today’s Brussels would make decisions based on objective analysis. Instead, he argued, the EU has “no real interest in Georgia” and is focused solely on “how to damage Russia through us.” “We are just a tool. The Georgian people are reduced to an instrument in Brussels’ eyes, to be used against a third country,” he said, suggesting that European policymakers would not care even if such policies harmed Georgia. Papuashvili also criticised the EU’s presence in the country, including recent public events organised by the bloc. He claimed EU officials were indifferent to Georgia’s fate and dismissed activities surrounding Europe Day on May 9 as political messaging rather than genuine engagement.

Student and activist Elene Gelashvili is detained and handcuffed by the Georgian Police following her sentencing by the Tbilisi City Court for “obstructing pedestrian traffic” that is protesting on sidewalk in front of Parliament. Georgian Dream has jailed tens of demonstrators for this “offence” repetition of which can result in up to one year in jail

The French National Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for targeted sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his inner circle, while demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners in GeorgiThe resolution, approved by 68 votes to 28, criticizes the ruling Georgian Dream party over what French lawmakers described as a slide toward authoritarianism and the violent dispersal of anti-government protests. French legislators called on Paris, in coordination with European partners, to support sanctions against Ivanishvili and his associates in line with a February 2025 European Parliament resolution and measures already imposed by the United States. The resolution also urges the French government to demand the immediate release of all political prisoners in Georgia, including opposition leaders and young peaceful protesters punished for their “democratic aspirations.” In addition, lawmakers called for Georgia’s EU accession process to remain effectively frozen until the country holds free and fair parliamentary elections in line with international standards. The text also urges European institutions to redirect financial assistance away from the government and toward civil society support. The resolution further asks the French government to review the circumstances under which Ivanishvili was awarded the Legion of Honour and consider revoking the distinction over actions deemed contrary to the values of the French Republic.

A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia official has claimed that the European Union “stumbled” in Georgia in its attempt to isolate Russia, while praising the ruling Georgian Dream party for pursuing what Moscow described as a pragmatic policy. In an interview with Russian state agency TASS published on May 12, Mikhail Kalugin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s CIS department, said Brussels had unsuccessfully tried to pressure Georgia into confronting Russia. According to Kalugin, the EU “unceremoniously interfered” in Georgia’s internal affairs and attempted to “twist the government’s arm,” but instead produced an “unexpected result” for Brussels in the form of “even greater pragmatism” by Tbilisi based on the country’s own interests. The Russian diplomat praised Georgia for refusing to join Western sanctions against Russia despite pressure from the EU, claiming the country’s economic growth had significantly benefited from expanded trade with Moscow. Kalugin also accused the EU of demanding that Georgia join anti-Russian sanctions, impose an energy embargo, and cut transport links, including direct flights with Russia, without regard for the consequences for the Georgian economy. He described Russia and Georgia as “natural partners” and expressed hope that the Georgian government would continue resisting attempts to drag the country into confrontation with Moscow.

Eric Trump, the son of U.S. President Donald Trump and executive vice president of The Trump Organization, has shared a rendering of the planned “Trump Tower Tbilisi” project on social media. In a post on X, Eric Trump said the tower, which he described as the Trump Organization’s “first project in the region,” would soon become a landmark and the tallest building in Georgia. “Thrilled to officially share the rendering for Trump Tower Tbilisi,” he wrote. “Located in the heart of Tbilisi, this tower will soon become an iconic landmark as the tallest building in Georgia.” Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Organization and its partner companies were planning to build the tower in the Georgian capital

London’s Royal Opera House has urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to intervene in the case of renowned Georgian bass singer Paata Burchuladze, who was sentenced to seven years in prison after taking part in anti-government protests in Georgia. Burchuladze, 71, a globally acclaimed opera star who has performed at the Royal Opera House and New York’s Metropolitan Opera alongside singers such as Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo, was arrested after joining demonstrations outside the presidential palace in Tbilisi last October. In a letter to Starmer, the Royal Opera’s casting director Peter Katona described the charges against Burchuladze as “fabricated” and said the singer was being punished for opposing Georgia’s “pro-Russian, authoritarian regime.” Burchuladze became one of the most visible figures of the pro-democracy protests, frequently singing to demonstrators from a flatbed truck during nightly rallies. Authorities accused him and several others of organizing violence and attempting a coup against the government led by the ruling Georgian Dream party and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.