Russia designates Georgian opposition party Droa as undesirable

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office designated the Georgian opposition party Droa as undesirable, citing its “sharply anti-Russian position.” The party, whose leader Elene Khoshtaria is imprisoned in Georgia, said it considered the decision an honor.

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office designated the activities of the Georgian opposition party Droa (“It’s time!”) as undesirable in the country. The office cited the party’s “sharply anti-Russian position,” JAMnews reported, citing the agency’s press service.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said Droa representatives oppose the normalization of political, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations between Georgia and Russia, call for the restoration of visa requirements for Russian citizens and seek an end to direct air travel between the countries. The office also said the party considers Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) territories occupied by Russia and accuses Moscow of violating international law and Georgia’s sovereignty.

Criticism of the party and its leader

The Prosecutor General’s Office said Droa’s activities are aimed at “exposing the Georgian ruling elite’s ties with Russia,” dismantling the country’s one-party system and accelerating integration into the European Union. The office also said the party supports the Ukrainian authorities and advocates Georgia’s accession to the “Carpathian Eight,” a regional cooperation format involving countries in Central and Southeast Europe that Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented on September 18. The office also criticized party leader Elene Khoshtaria, who accuses the ruling Georgian Dream party of pursuing a pro-Russian course.

Лидер партии «Дроа» Элене Хоштария (архив)

Droa’s response

The party listed six reasons why, in its view, Russian authorities had added it to the list of undesirable organizations and said the decision concerned precisely the positions it considers to be a defense of Georgia’s national interests. “Taking advantage of this opportunity, which we consider an honor, we repeat: Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region are Georgia! Georgia will become a member of the European Union and NATO!” the party said in a statement.

What is known about the party

Droa is a pro-European opposition party founded in 2021 by Elene Khoshtaria, a former first deputy state minister of Georgia for European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Khoshtaria was a member of parliament from 2016 to 2022. In the 2024 parliamentary elections, the party ran as part of the opposition Coalition for Change alongside Ahali and Girchi—More Freedom and took part in protests against the authorities’ decision to suspend the process of joining the EU.

Khoshtaria is currently imprisoned. She was detained in September 2025 after writing “Russian Dream” on a campaign banner belonging to Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and in March 2026 a court sentenced her to 18 months in prison for damaging another person’s property. Russia’s law on undesirable organizations has been in force since 2015; participation in the activities of such organizations carries administrative liability and, in the event of a repeat violation, criminal liability.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Russia designates Georgian opposition party Droa as undesirable