Witness says Georgian Dream shifted Georgia toward Russia, China and Iran

A witness told attendees that Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has moved the country away from the West and toward alliances with Russia, China and Iran, alleging the shift includes practical support for Russian sanctions evasion.

The witness said Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine "represents Georgia's final break from the West and full descent into authoritarianism," and accused Georgian officials of criticizing Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky while remaining quiet about Russia. "Georgia quickly came to Russia's aid, not Ukraine's," the witness said, adding that the country "still serve[s] as a key sanctions evasion route for Russia."

Why it matters: The witness framed these assertions as a significant geopolitical reversal for Georgia, noting that roughly "20%" of the country is occupied by Russia and arguing that Georgian Dream has redefined the countrys international friendships.

The witness said Georgian Dream leaders "endlessly attacked Ukraine and Zelensky" and later redirected criticisms toward Europe and the United States, accusing Western actors of being part of a "global war party" and saying party rhetoric has characterized Europe with the phrase "liberal fascism." The witness also asserted that Georgian Dream has publicly embraced China and Iran as "friends, allies, and partners."

On a specific evidentiary point, the witness said there is "a photo, for example, of the prime minister, Raquel Kobiqidze, standing next to Hamas in Tehran." The transcript records that description but does not provide supporting documentation or additional sourcing for the photograph, and the claim is presented in the record as the witnesss statement.

The testimony in the transcript consists of assertions and allegations; no formal motions, votes or documentary evidence appear in the provided excerpt. The witness attributed the occupation figure and the sanctions-evasion allegation to the larger argument about Georgia's foreign-policy direction.

The hearing record in the supplied transcript does not include responses from Georgian officials, supporting documents, or a named investigator, and the transcript does not identify the venue or date of the remarks.

The witnesss account frames a contested narrative about Georgia's alignment and international partners; further reporting would require corroborating documents, visual evidence for the photograph cited, and responses from Georgian Dream or Georgian government officials.