While thousands of Iranians take to the streets every day to demand the demise of the Islamic Republic, people in the small European country of Georgia, along Russia’s southern border, have been protesting at varying levels of intensity for more than a year following disputed 2024 parliamentary elections.
Everyday Georgians, still braving freezing temperatures and accusations of violence by authorities, watch their peers fight for democracy in Iran and see their own struggles unfold against a corrupt and unpopular regime.
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People gather in the Georgian capital Tbilisi to show their support for Iranian protesters. January 2026. (Nino Alavidze)
“The developments in Iran resonate in a very human way: if people can challenge a much more despotic and violent regime, it strengthens the belief that resistance in Georgia is not futile,” Khidasheli added.
Massive protests began shortly after the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October 2024 elections and halted Georgia’s attempts to join the European Union.
Georgians have long wanted to move closer to the West and join the European Union, with opinion polls showing overwhelming support for joining the bloc. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted Tbilisi’s accession to the EU shortly after taking power, angering many.
Protesters holding Georgian national, US and EU flags gather during an opposition protest against the Foreign Influence Law and Independence Day celebrations in central Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue is packed with protesters chanting and blocking traffic, outraged by the ruling party’s move away from Europe and closer to a Russian-oriented foreign policy.
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“You will see many lion and sun flags (Iran’s national flag until the 1979 Islamic Revolution) in front of the Georgian parliament. And there have been protests in front of the Iranian embassy in Tbilisi,” Koplatadze said.
Protesters gather at Heroes Square during an opposition protest against “Russian law” in central Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP Photo)
Koplatadze said the news from Iran and the regime’s brutal violence against innocent people shocked many Georgians in the crowd and created a shared sense of empathy.
“I don’t remember such a big protest in Tbilisi in support of a foreign nation, except Ukraine,” he said.
“The transformation from a terrorist state to a democratic government will significantly change the situation and even contribute substantially to the global balance of power and the economy. A particularly positive outcome is expected with the collapse of the Russian-Iranian partnership.”
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Riaboshenko pointed out that Russian-backed representatives of Georgian Dream positioned themselves as partners with Tehran and that bilateral relations and cooperation have increased since the rigged 2024 elections.
Civic IDEA, a Georgian NGO, released a report in July 2025 detailing how Iranian businessmen and companies use Georgia as a strategic transit point to circumvent international sanctions and funnel money back to Iran.
According to the Civic IDEA report, there are almost 13,000 Iranian companies registered in Georgia.
Cars burn in a street during a protest against the collapse of the currency in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
“Many protesters see Iran as a cautionary tale of what happens if a consolidating dictatorship is not defeated quickly enough,” Mikiashvili warned.
There have also been no expressions of support for the Georgian Dream government’s pro-democracy protests, nor condemnation of human rights abuses by the security forces against innocent people.
As the Georgian Dream government cemented itself in power, it introduced strict anti-demonstration laws to crack down on dissent and used disproportionate force and other brutal tactics to quell unrest.
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Human Rights Watch documented numerous laws that hinder Georgians’ right to assemble peacefully, including high fines for protest-related violations and unlawful police tactics, as thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained.
According to Transparency International Georgia, a non-governmental organization aimed at fighting corruption in Georgia, since the election of Georgian Dream, 600 people have been arbitrarily detained, 300 protesters have been tortured or subjected to inhuman treatment, 1,000 citizens have been fined for political opinions, and 400 journalists have been arrested, beaten and harassed.
