Max HeyraudGeorgian authorities raided the home of the co-founder of Bassiani, a club that has become an international symbol of resistance, freedom, and underground culture in a state that is growing increasingly repressive.
The search, conducted under the guise of a vague “sabotage” investigation, occurred in front of his pregnant wife, marking a disturbing escalation in the government’s intensifying campaign against dissent.
The founder has long been a target of political pressure. But yesterday’s raid marks a new threshold: one where intimidation reaches into the most private spaces, targeting not only activists, but their families and homes.
This event is not isolated. It is part of a larger pattern of repression taking place in Georgia. Recent legislative initiatives, including a draft bill modelled after Russia’s Foreign Agent Registration Act, threaten to criminalise non-governmental organisations (NGOS) and independent media, portraying foreign-funded organisations as state foes. Simultaneously, protest rights have been severely limited, with fines for protestors now exceeding one million GEL.
