The Democracy Research Institute condemns the detention of Georgian civil and human rights activist Tamar Mearakishvili in the occupied Akhalgori. Mearakishvili was detained on the basis of unfounded, politically motivated charges of espionage. To secure the activist’s release and protect her rights, it is essential to immediately activate all international mechanisms.

According to available information, activist Tamar Mearakishvili was detained by South Ossetian security services on charges of cooperating with Georgia’s special services and providing information to foreign media outlets. As of this moment, her family is unaware of her detention conditions, whether she has been given the opportunity to exercise her right to legal defense, and whether her rights are being protected in general.

It should be noted that several hours before her detention, Tamar Mearakishvili publicly addressed the self-proclaimed president Alan Gagloev on her Facebook page, requesting a meeting to discuss systemic human rights violations in the region. Mearakishvili had repeatedly made similar requests to the de facto government, but without success. Due to the unjustified refusal to meet, she even announced the ultimate form of non-violent protest—a hunger strike.

For years, Tamar Mearakishvili has been a victim of systematic repression and persecution by the self-proclaimed authorities in Tskhinvali. In the past, she was persecuted on absurd criminal charges; her freedom of movement was restricted—her passport and travel permit were confiscated—resulting in her isolation from her family. Tamar was first detained in 2017, when the prosecutor’s office accused her of defaming the local ruling party “United Ossetia” and of illegally obtaining South Ossetian citizenship. In 2023, due to another round of criminal prosecution, the prosecutor’s office of occupied Akhalgori detained her on charges of “bad faith and discrediting state institutions.” She was acquitted of all unfounded accusations brought against her in 2017 and 2023 charges were dropped.

The Democracy Research Institute urges:

• The immediate and unconditional release of Tamar Mearakishvili and the dropping of the unfounded espionage charges.
• The immediate restoration of her freedom of movement and the return of her arbitrarily confiscated personal identification documents.

We call on:

• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): to become promptly involved and monitor the detention conditions and physical condition of the detained Tamar Mearakishvili.
• The relevant authorities of Georgia and the international community: to use the diplomatic and legal mechanisms at their disposal to immediately end the persecution and imprisonment of civil activists.