PACE calls on Georgian Gov't to stop 'undemocratic crackdown'

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Ćudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE), have voiced serious alarm over the Georgian government's intensifying campaign against political opposition, civil society, and independent media.

In a joint statement, the monitors condemned the “ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices,” pointing to recent repressive legislation, politically motivated prosecutions, and the summoning of journalists and activists for alleged social media insults directed at ruling party officials.

They also criticized the recent detentions of opposition figures — including Nika Gvaramia — who refused to appear before a controversial parliamentary commission investigating alleged abuses by previous administrations. The commission, created by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been widely criticized for seeking to outlaw opposition parties under the guise of accountability.

“This ongoing crackdown is only exacerbating the social and political crisis in Georgia and moves the country further away from honouring its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe,” said Estrela and Ćudić. “We urge the authorities to stop this undemocratic crackdown and reverse the country’s rapid democratic backsliding.”

The rapporteurs emphasized their readiness to continue dialogue with Georgian authorities and all political forces to help the country meet its commitments under the Council of Europe framework.

Georgia is one of ten Council of Europe member states subject to the Assembly’s full monitoring procedure, which involves regular visits by a pair of rapporteurs, who conduct an ongoing dialogue with authorities, and occasional plenary debates to ensure that a state's progress and problems are fully assessed.