The Venice Commission has published its opinion on the legislative amendments introduced by Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, which restrict freedom of protest and expression.
According to the report, the bills were adopted in a hasty manner without proper engagement from relevant stakeholders, undermining their legitimacy, particularly in the context of large-scale protests.
The Commission assessed the legislative process as fundamentally flawed.
“The new rules contain numerous vague provisions, granting authorities excessive discretion in their enforcement. The lack of clarity in the legislation increases the risk of misuse and arbitrary application,” the report states.
Furthermore, the Commission noted that the necessity and proportionality of various restrictive measures were not properly justified in the amendments.
The report also criticizes the introduction of harsh prison sentences and significantly increased fines for administrative offenses, calling them excessive.
“Such measures could have a chilling effect on the exercise of freedom of assembly and expression,” the Commission warned.
It further emphasized that financial penalties should be proportionate to the offense and take into account the offender’s socioeconomic situation.
“Fines for minor violations that do not significantly harm public order or the rights and freedoms of others should be kept at a low level, similar to penalties for other minor infractions unrelated to assemblies,” the report concluded.
