Georgia investigates 47 possible election violations in parliamentary race

The Georgian Prosecutor's Office reported the information.

According to the agency, 47 criminal cases concern election fraud, influence on the will of the voter, violation of the secrecy of the vote, bribery of voters, obstruction of journalistic activity, violence and threats, damage and destruction of property in the election commission's premises or during election campaigning.

The investigation was launched on the basis of appeals from the opposition and political parties, the Central Election Commission and non-governmental organizations, as well as information disseminated in the media, the Prosecutor's Office said.

In particular, law enforcement officers added that two people were detained over ballot stuffing at a polling station in Marneuli.

According to Echo of the Caucasus, one of the defendants is the deputy chairman of the Marneuli City Council. At the same time, law enforcement officers did not disclose the identities of the detainees, naming them only by the initials R.I., born in 1984, and E.I., born in 1990.

During the parliamentary elections in Georgia, a massive ballot box stuffing was recorded at polling station No. 69 in the Marneuli district. The polling station was closed, and the results of the vote were canceled.

What is known about the elections in Georgia

Voting in the Georgian parliamentary elections took place on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

The country's Central Election Commission declared the ruling pro-Russian Georgian Dream party (54%) the winner, which built its campaign on rejecting EU and NATO membership, which allegedly threatened Georgia with war. As a "proof", the Dream's billboards and videos featured images of destroyed Ukrainian cities.

Among the leaders of foreign states and governments, only Viktor Orban (Hungary), Nikol Pashinyan (Armenia), and Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan) have so far congratulated the current Georgian government on its “victory.”

At the same time, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, responded to the report of EU observers who studied the voting process in Georgia on October 26, published on October 27. In particular, he called on the Georgian CEC to investigate and correct violations during the vote count.

On the evening of October 27, President Salome Zourabichvili made an address in which she emphasized “total falsification and confiscation of votes.”

On the evening of October 28, protests began in the Georgian capital after the results of the parliamentary elections were announced. About 15,000 people came to the parliament building in the city center.

On October 30, the Georgian Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the alleged falsification of the parliamentary elections with signs of a crime. As part of the investigation, President Zourabichvili was summoned for questioning, but she refused.