Russia’s grip on Georgia tightens with opposition party ban

Leaders of the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party said yesterday they would add the For Georgia party as a defendant in its lawsuit that seeks to constitutionally ban five political groups. Georgian Dream leaders say these parties reject Georgia’s constitutional order and engage in “destructive actions” in the nation’s parliament. But notably, the targeted parties favor closer integration with Europe, while Georgian Dream has pursued a staunchly pro-Russia foreign policy. Georgian Dream’s increasingly pro-Russia and increasingly repressive measures demonstrate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s progress in pulling this former Soviet country back into Russia’s orbit.