Freedom House: 'Normalisation of US-Georgia relations should depend on release of political prisoners'
Freedom House on US-Georgia relations
International human rights organisation Freedom House has published an article titled “No Reset Without Release: Georgia’s Political Prisoners and the Price of Better Relations with Washington.”
The organisation argues that relations between the United States and Georgia should not be normalised until the Georgian government releases individuals whom Freedom House believes are being detained or imprisoned for exercising their fundamental freedoms.
The authors note that senior Georgian officials have repeatedly expressed a desire in recent months to improve relations with the administration of Donald Trump.
According to Freedom House, members of the Georgian Dream government have portrayed renewed diplomatic contacts and commercial projects — including the possible construction of a 70-storey Trump Tower in Tbilisi — as signs of improving relations between Washington and Tbilisi after several years of tension.
However, the organisation argues that Georgian Dream has continued to pursue a foreign policy that raises concerns among Western partners. The article notes that the government has expanded cooperation with China, including through a strategic partnership agreement signed in 2023.
The article also discusses Georgia’s deepening ties with Iran, the participation of senior Georgian officials in Iranian state events, and allegations that Georgia has been involved in possible schemes to circumvent international sanctions imposed on Iran.
The authors further note that the Georgian government has faced increasing criticism over allegations that it has helped facilitate the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia.
According to Freedom House, the shift in Georgia’s foreign policy has coincided with a broad campaign against dissent at home. The organisation says this process followed the adoption of laws widely viewed as repressive, as well as the government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks in 2024. The authors argue that the move ignored strong public support for European integration and closer ties with democratic partners.
The article also argues that the authorities increasingly portray Euro-Atlantic integration not as a foundation for Georgia’s security and prosperity, but as a source of instability and conflict.
“Journalists, political opponents, students, artists and ordinary citizens have been imprisoned, while the authorities have adopted laws aimed at restricting freedom of expression,” the article states.
Freedom House also cites assessments by the US State Department. It notes that the suspension of EU accession talks followed parliamentary elections that, according to the department, were marred by allegations of fraud and voter intimidation.
According to the organisation, Georgia remains classified as a “Partly Free” country. In Freedom House’s 2026 report, Georgia’s score fell to 51 points, seven points lower than two years earlier.
The authors argue that it is in the strategic interests of the United States to prevent Georgia from drifting further away from the West and moving closer to states that Washington regards as adversaries.
“Washington should seek to keep Georgia within the democratic and Euro-Atlantic space, as the country’s future will affect the balance of influence between democratic and authoritarian forces in a strategically important region. However, this does not mean that the United States should normalise relations on Georgian Dream’s terms.
The Trump administration should treat the release of Georgia’s political prisoners as the first and most obvious test of whether Georgian Dream is genuinely prepared to take steps that would improve relations with the United States,” the authors write.
Political prisoners
Freedom House argues that the Trump administration has already demonstrated how high-level diplomatic engagement can help secure the release of political prisoners. As an example, the organisation points to the work of special envoy John Cole, which it says contributed to the release of hundreds of prisoners from Belarusian jails in recent months.
According to the authors, the issue of political prisoners in Georgia deserves the same level of international attention.
One of the most prominent examples cited in the article is Mzia Amaghlobeli, the founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti.
Freedom House also highlights the case of young activist Zviad Tsetskhladze, who, according to the organisation, was arrested during pro-European protests in December 2024 and remains in prison. The organisation describes him as a symbol of the government’s campaign against student and youth activism.
The authors stress that the crackdown extends beyond political activists. The article mentions actor Andro Chichinadze and opera singer Paata Burchuladze, whom the organisation says have faced legal pressure because of their links to protest activities.
Freedom House also draws attention to opposition politicians, including Giorgi Vashadze, Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia and Elene Khoshtaria, who it says have been subjected to persecution.
The authors argue that these cases reflect a broader trend in which the judicial system and prosecutors are increasingly being used to suppress dissent and weaken the democratic opposition.
According to Freedom House, independent monitoring organisations have documented systemic bias in the courts, disproportionate use of pre-trial detention and politically motivated prosecutions of peaceful protesters.
The organisation notes that before 2024 only a small number of such cases had been recorded. It says Georgian human rights groups now report that 113 people are in prison on cases widely regarded as politically motivated. Of those, 58 are serving sentences and 55 remain in pre-trial detention.
The path to freedom
According to Freedom House, the Trump administration’s national security strategy provides a clear framework for making the release of political prisoners a key condition for any “reset” in US-Georgia relations.
The article cites provisions of the strategy stating that freedom of speech, religion and conscience, as well as the right of citizens to choose and govern their own government, are fundamental rights that should not be restricted. The document also states that the United States will pressure countries that claim to uphold these principles to put those commitments into practice.
The authors write that the Georgian government frequently professes its commitment to these values, but argue that its treatment of political prisoners offers a more reliable test of whether those declarations reflect reality.
According to Freedom House, the United States should not normalise what it describes as ongoing repression in Georgia simply because Georgian Dream has sought to improve relations with Washington through diplomatic engagement and business initiatives.
The authors argue that if the ruling party wants closer cooperation with the United States, Washington should demand concrete democratic reforms in return. These should include restoring political pluralism, protecting civil society and independent media, and ensuring free and fair elections.
According to Freedom House, such reforms are essential if Georgia is to remain within the Euro-Atlantic community rather than drift into the sphere of influence of authoritarian states.
“The release of political prisoners should be viewed as a minimum requirement, not the final demand,” the article states.
The organisation also argues that as long as Georgian Dream continues what it describes as the repression of its own citizens, the weakening of democratic institutions and the deepening of ties with forces opposed to the United States, Washington and its partners should maintain pressure on those responsible.
Freedom House suggests that such pressure could include sanctions, visa restrictions and other targeted measures against officials, judges, prosecutors and influential supporters whom the article links to democratic backsliding and politically motivated repression.
In conclusion, the organisation notes that a significant share of Georgia’s population continues to support democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration. Freedom House says US policy should reflect and demonstrate solidarity with those aspirations.
Freedom House on US-Georgia relations
