A Georgian opposition politician was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty on terrorism charges for attempting to set fire to a courthouse in the capital Tbilisi last year, Interpress news agency reported, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
The court ruled that Aleko Elisashvili, one of the founders of the Citizens' Party, broke into the Tbilisi City Court office building in November 2025, smashed a window with a hammer, then poured gasoline inside and tried to set the building on fire.
Elisashvili, who has pleaded not guilty and said he was protesting the government's crackdown on the opposition, was convicted of attempted terrorism.
Georgia, once among the most democratic and pro-Western countries to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union, has become increasingly authoritarian since the war in Ukraine began, government critics say, Reuters notes.
Several opposition politicians are in prison, and Elisashvili's party is part of a political alliance that faces a complete ban from the ruling Georgian Dream party, which accuses the opposition of trying to stage violent coups.
Relations with the European Union, which Georgia is seeking to join, have been under increasing strain over concerns about a retreat from democratic principles.
It is not yet clear whether Elisashvili will appeal the verdict.
In his closing statement to the court, he defended his actions. "I wanted to spit in the face of this government to show that they cannot oppress us," he said, quoted by the Georgian edition of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.