The signatories described the developments as part of a “continuous campaign to eliminate democratic opposition, restrict freedom of expression and silence civil society”
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Front News Georgia
More than 50 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have warned that Georgia could face expulsion if it fails to reverse what they described as an authoritarian turn.
In a declaration released on Tuesday, 51 PACE members said they would formally challenge the credentials of the Georgian delegation and called on both the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers to begin expulsion procedures “unless Tbilisi shows progress in meeting democratic standards.”
The MPs recalled that on 29 January, PACE conditionally ratified Georgia’s delegation, requiring the country to free political prisoners arrested during pro-European protests and call new parliamentary elections under improved electoral conditions by April.
“Instead, the situation has sharply deteriorated,” the statement said, pointing to the arrest of senior opposition leaders, “politically motivated” prosecutions of activists and journalists, and the government’s “unilateral withdrawal” from the Assembly.
The signatories described the developments as part of a “continuous campaign to eliminate democratic opposition, restrict freedom of expression and silence civil society”, accusing Georgia of violating its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe.
They stressed that ignoring such “authoritarian backsliding” would undermine the Assembly itself. “If Georgia does not make progress in changing its authoritarian course, we will have substantial grounds to challenge its credentials and urge the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers to begin the process of Georgia’s expulsion,” the deputies warned.
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