Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe adopts critical resolution on Georgia
PACE criticizes Georgia
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a critical resolution on Georgia on 24 June, expressing deep concern over democratic backsliding, political repression, and the country’s deep institutional crisis.
The resolution, titled “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Georgia,” is based on the findings of PACE co-rapporteurs monitoring the situation in the country.
It reaffirms previous assessments, stating that pressure on civil society, the opposition, and critical voices in Georgia continues.
Such monitoring resolutions are adopted every few years for the 10 Council of Europe member states that remain under the Assembly’s monitoring procedure.
The resolution says that attempts to ban opposition parties and prosecute their leaders are pushing Georgia toward one-party rule and dictatorship. PACE calls for the process of banning opposition parties to be halted and for politically motivated prosecutions to end.
According to PACE, the conditions necessary for genuinely free and democratic elections do not exist, given the pressure and deep political polarization in the country.
The Assembly urges the Georgian Dream government to launch an open and inclusive political dialogue with the opposition and civil society.
The resolution also strongly criticizes restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, as well as pressure on independent media and civil society organizations. It calls for the repeal of laws considered repressive, including:
- the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence;
- the Foreign Agents Registration Law;
- and other recent legislative amendments that, according to the resolution, restrict civil and political freedoms.
The Assembly also expresses concern over reports of police violence, possible torture, and ill-treatment of detainees, and calls for an independent investigation into these allegations.
The resolution endorses the findings of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report and urges the Georgian authorities to implement its recommendations.
Additional amendments to the resolution express concern over:
- the health of imprisoned opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria;
- the imprisonment and deteriorating health of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, calling for his transfer abroad for medical treatment;
- reports that Georgia may have been used to help circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia;
- the deportation case of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov;
- Russia’s military activity in the Black Sea and plans to build a Russian naval base in Ochamchire, Abkhazia.
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