A group of Renew Europe MEPs, led by Pina Picierno, Nathalie Loiseau, and Lucia Yar, has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission demanding urgent action over the deteriorating health of imprisoned Georgian opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria and what they describe as political persecution by the Georgian Dream government. The MEPs are pressing the Commission to exert formal pressure on Tbilisi to provide adequate medical care, to assess whether Khoshtaria's 18-month sentence for defacing election posters violates EU fundamental rights standards, and to outline concrete measures to secure her release and that of other political prisoners.
The question, dated 29 June 2026, follows the Tbilisi Court's 24 March 2026 sentencing of Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, for an act of protest in solidarity with an arrested activist. Amnesty International has labelled the conviction politically motivated. Khoshtaria's legal team reports a serious deterioration in her health, including severe joint pain and difficulty moving, and says Georgian authorities have ignored requests for a specialised treatment plan. The European Parliament acknowledged the need for medical care in a previous resolution, but the MEPs argue that no action has followed.
first, that the Commission pressure Georgia to ensure Khoshtaria receives care compliant with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights; second, that it determine whether the sentence violates freedom of expression under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; and third, that it specify measures within the EU-Georgia Association Agreement framework to secure the release of Khoshtaria and other political prisoners.
Policy orientations from the question signal a hardening stance toward Georgia's ruling party, linking individual rights abuses to broader EU-Georgia relations. The MEPs are effectively calling for the Commission to use leverage under the Association Agreement, which could include suspending visa liberalisation or financial assistance if Georgia fails to comply. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it shares the MEPs' assessment and is willing to escalate pressure on Tbilisi.