A Georgian opposition figure has been sentenced to two years in prison over posts about Georgians fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On 18 June, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Georgian opposition figure Irakli Khufenia to two years in a general regime penal colony on charges of publicly justifying terrorism (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). The court’s press service reported this to OVD-Info.

The man was also banned from administering websites and online channels for two years.

According to the investigation, on 30 July 2024, Khufenia, while at home in Georgia, posted on his social media page a photograph of Bondo Gagnidze, a soldier from the “Georgian National Legion” who was killed in the fighting in Ukraine. The opposition figure also left a comment in Georgian that was said to “justify terrorist activity on the grounds of political and ideological hatred and enmity.”

Khufenia made another post on 16 August. He published an image of a road sign featuring the Ukrainian flag, symbols and heraldry, with an inscription in Ukrainian that read: “Welcome to Kursk Oblast.” The opposition figure added a comment to the post that, according to the authorities, “justified terrorist activity on the grounds of political and ideological hatred and enmity.”

The verdict stated that he acted because he disagreed “with the political course of the Russian Federation and the special military operation being conducted by the Russian Armed Forces.”

Khufenia fully admitted guilt but refused to testify during the court proceedings.

Khufenia’s detention was reported by the STV.GE television channel on 29 January. He had come to Russia “on business” and crossed the Georgian border on 16 January. The outlet Newsposts wrote that he was detained at the “Verkhny Lars” checkpoint, and that a relative was with him. The Telegram channel “Svoi v Batumi” and several Georgian media outlets wrote on the same day that Khufenia was accused of supporting Georgians fighting on the side of the Ukrainian army.

“Mediazona” also discovered that on 17 January, the day after his detention at the border, the Sovetsky District Court of Vladikavkaz handed down an administrative punishment against him for petty hooliganism (Part 1, Article 20.1 of the Administrative Offences Code). Fifteen days later, on 1 February, the same court issued a decision on a similar charge. The court website does not specify what punishment Khufenia received. Most likely, in both cases he was given administrative detention—this has become routine practice for Russian law enforcement prior to bringing criminal charges.

In Georgia, Khufenia had been an active participant in recent protest movements and had used social media to call on others to join actions against the ruling party. He was also a member of the Georgian opposition party “United National Movement” and headed the party’s election headquarters in the village of Darcheli. Judging from his Facebook page, Khufenia also spoke out in support of Ukraine.

• The “Georgian National Legion” is a Georgian volunteer unit fighting on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine. In June 2024, a Russian court designated the Legion as a “terrorist organisation.”