The Royal Opera House wants the release of a Georgian bassist who was arrested for pro-democracy protests The Royal Opera House

The The Royal Opera House in London has asked Keir Starmer to intervene in the case of Paata Burchuladze, a world-renowned bassist who has been in prison in Georgia since October on charges of leading a terrorist attack against the country’s leader.

The 71-year-old said held at the Royal Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and collaborated with others such as Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. He was arrested after taking part in protests outside the presidential palace in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Last week, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison, which Burchuladze said was equivalent to being in prison for life given his age.

Burchuladze became the leader of the group nightly protests against what the government sees in the West autumn is over. He often called protesters from the back of a flatbed truck in the cold, and on October 4 he read from a proclamation that “power returns to the people” and called the government “illegitimate”.

He was later arrested along with nine other people accused of planning violence against the ruling government, which is actually led by the richest man in Georgia, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Ivanishvili is the chairman of the ruling party, Georgian Dream, and was it was hit with sanctions by the US in 2024 subverting Georgia’s democracy for the benefit of Vladimir Putin and Russia.

In a letter he wrote to the British Prime Minister, the head of the Royal Opera, Mr. Peter Katona, said that Burchuladze was “punished as a warning to other people who may challenge the regime”.

He wrote: “I am writing to inform you of the situation of the famous Georgian singer and our close friend Paata Burchuladze, who is currently in prison before trial and is being investigated by the government allied with Russia. Georgia.

“The case against Mr. Burchuladze is false and against the law.

Katona told Starmer that Burchuladze had a distinguished career at the Royal Opera House and had performed many times over the years since his debut in 1984. “We are thinking of calling him back again, and in the future for bigger roles,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Paata Burchuladze is now among more than 100 political prisoners in Georgia. During the recent peaceful protests, more than 500 people were arrested, and more than 300 reported that they were tortured and tortured.

“Your attention and cooperation will mean a lot to the people of Georgia, who are working to protect their freedom, human rights, and their democratic future,” Katona said.

It is understood that the Royal Ballet and Opera have not received a response from Downing Street.

The Foreign Office has said it is closely monitoring the situation and will “raise, if necessary, the need to protect the rights of detainees, including access to legal representation and communication with families”.

Burchuladze, who was born in Tbilisi, has been a pro-democracy activist in Georgia for more than a decade. formed a temporary political party in 2016. He also served as a good ambassador for the UN and Unicef.

In his speech shortly before his sentencing last week, Burchuladze said: “I believe that famous people like me, no matter what the situation is in our lives, should be at the forefront and set an example in fighting for our freedom.”

In the previous court, Burchuladze warned that the Georgian government is building an “iron fence” between Georgia and the West.

The request of the British Royal Opera has been confirmed by Christina Scheppelmann, artistic director of the Belgian national opera, La Monnaie, in Brussels.

In a letter he wrote to the prime minister of Belgium, Scheppelmann wrote: “It is clear that Burchuladze will not be tried fairly.” Like other political prisoners, his fundamental rights are being violated and he is being punished as a warning to those who oppose the regime.

Burchuladze is among 114 Georgians who have been sentenced to prison or are currently in prison as a result of the protests. The The EU has suspended its negotiations on Georgia’s accession to the bloc because of the democratic backsliding of the government.

Eka Gigauri, from the anti-corruption organization Transparency International, said: “These cases show a clear example of punishment aimed at deterring those who oppose the ruling party’s pro-Russian policies and who peacefully defend the future of Georgia’s democracy in the face of growing authoritarianism.”