24 OSCE member states call on Georgia to implement 'Moscow Mechanism' recommendations
OSCE Moscow Mechanism demands to Georgia
In a joint statement, 24 OSCE member states urged the Georgian government to fully implement the ‘Moscow Mechanism’ recommendations. The statement said: “The Rapporteur’s central finding is unambiguous. As the report states: “In the period covered by the mandate, a marked democratic backsliding has taken place in Georgia.”
On January 29, 2026, 24 OSCE member states launched a special investigation into Georgia under the so-called “Moscow Mechanism,” a tool used when there are suspicions of a serious deterioration of human rights in a country.
On March 12, following the investigation, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) published a report confirming a worsening situation regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms in Georgia.
The nearly 217-page report provides detailed information covering the period from the beginning of 2024 to the present, including:
- democratic backsliding,
- worsening human rights and media conditions,
- persecution of protesters and opposition figures,
- repression of dissent,
- existence of political prisoners,
- repressive legislation, and more.
The OSCE has activated this mechanism only 16 times in its history. The three previous cases before Georgia examined the situations in Turkmenistan, Belarus, and Chechnya (Russian Federation).
The Georgian authorities criticized the report, saying it does not reflect the full picture of the country’s political and legal reality. Georgia’s permanent representative to the OSCE, Alexander Maisuradze, stated that the report contains factual inaccuracies, selective interpretations, and politically biased conclusions, calling its reliability into question.
Demands to the Georgian authorities
The countries that signed the statement call on the Georgian authorities to continue engagement and to treat the rapporteur’s findings as a basis for constructive dialogue and reforms. The statement says:
“We urge Georgia to address democratic backsliding and implement in full the Moscow Mechanism recommendations. Today, we wish to highlight the following steps in particular:
First, the Georgian authorities should ensure that law enforcement acts in line with international standards, and conduct prompt, independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of torture and ill‑treatment, holding those responsible to account.
Second, Georgia should repeal or fundamentally revise legislation that is incompatible with its international human rights obligations and commitments, including laws on transparency of foreign influence, foreign agents registration, and related amendments affecting grants, broadcasting and political participation.
As the Rapporteur notes, these laws are not capable of being brought into compliance through minor amendments alone.
In doing so, we encourage the Georgian authorities to reestablish their cooperation with ODIHR and the Venice Commission and implement their recommendations in full.
Third, the authorities should refrain from arbitrary detention and prosecution of political opponents, journalists and other participants of public debate, withdraw arbitrarily brought charges, and release all persons detained for political reasons.
Fourth, Georgia should halt efforts to ban opposition parties, withdraw pending applications in this regard, and ensure that political pluralism is fully respected.
Finally, the report underscores the need to restore trust in the judiciary by strengthening judicial independence, ensuring fair trial guarantees, and reforming institutions such as the High Council of Justice in line with long‑standing OSCE and Venice Commission recommendations.
The Moscow Mechanism exists to support participating States in upholding their shared commitments in the human dimension. We, as invoking States, stand ready to support meaningful follow‑up, including through continued discussion in the Permanent Council and engagement with Georgian authorities and civil society as well as by seriously considering the Report’s recommendations to the OSCE Participating States and to the International Community.”
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The joint statement was signed by the United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, and Poland.
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OSCE Moscow Mechanism demands to Georgia
