In the rolling landscapes of Garabagh and East Zangazur, reconstruction is no longer an abstract promise. Now, we can proudly say that it is a lived reality. Across once-devastated districts, from Aghdam to Fuzuli, from Zangilan to Khojavend, new roads cut through valleys that were, until recently, scarred by war.
Day: March 19, 2026
The bipartisan leadership of the U.S. Helsinki Commission has called on U.S. officials to use sanctions and “other available tools” to insist the Georgian Dream authorities comply with the recommendations of the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism report.
The report, published on March 12 under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism, a human dimension instrument invoked by 24 participating states and authored by sole rapporteur Patrycja Grzebyk, points to “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia since spring 2024. Among its key recommendations are the immediate release of “all prisoners held for political reasons” and the repeal of a series of restrictive laws.
In a March 18 statement, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Roger Wicker, Co-Chairman Representative Joe Wilson, Ranking Member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen, and Commissioner Senator Jeanne Shaheen, said that “the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report is clear: Georgian Dream is robbing the Georgian people of their hard-won freedom and turning their country into an isolated, authoritarian state.”
They called on U.S. officials to join with European partners to “use sanctions and other available tools to insist that Georgian authorities heed the recommendations in this report. We must demand that they release all political prisoners, drop politically motivated charges against opposition politicians, and repeal undemocratic and unjust laws.”
U.S. lawmakers further said the report documents “inhumane treatment” by Georgian authorities toward protesters, political prisoners, and other dissenting voices. They pointed to what they described as “unjust prosecutions of protestors,” “abuse of protestors, political opposition, and journalists,” and the “public intimidation of journalists.”
Georgian Dream officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, have dismissed the Moscow Mechanism report’s findings as “pre-written,” accusing the rapporteur of “political bias” and alleging a “conflict of interest.”
Also Read:
- 17/03/2026 – Ex-Ombudsman Summoned to SSSG Over ‘Communication’ With Moscow Mechanism Expert
- 13/03/2026 – Tbilisi ‘Vigorously Rejects’ OSCE Findings as Member States Call to Fulfill Recommendations
- 29/01/2026 – 24 Countries Invoke OSCE Moscow Mechanism on Georgia
- 04/12/2025 – Helsinki Commission Urges U.S. to Verify BBC Report, Sanction Those Responsible
Starting April 2, Georgia will be among 12 new countries whose nationals will be required to post a bond of $15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism in the United States, the U.S. State Department announced on March 18.
The U.S. introduced the visa bond pilot program last year, as part of a temporary final rule (TFR) effective for 12 months from August 20, 2025, until August 5, 2026.
Under the pilot program, nationals of designated countries may be required to post a bond of USD 5,000, USD 10,000, or USD 15,000, depending on the applicant’s circumstances, with USD 10,000 as the standard amount. Consular officers may waive the bond requirement in limited cases, such as for travel by U.S. government officials or for urgent humanitarian reasons.
According to the State Department, the bond will be returned to visa recipients who return home in compliance with visa and bond terms or do not travel. The U.S. says the program is necessary to combat illegal overstays.
Alongside Georgia, the added group of countries includes Cambodia, Ethiopia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. 38 other countries that were covered with the bond requirements include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Georgia is the only country from Europe or the South Caucasus on the list.
Earlier, in January, the U.S. also included Georgia among the 75 countries affected by the temporary suspension of U.S. immigrant visa issuance.
Also Read:
- 22/12/2025 – EU Pushes Creation of ‘Safe Countries’ List, Potentially to Include Georgia
- 19/12/2025 – Georgia Could Lose Visa Free ‘Entirely’, EU Commission’s Visa Report Warns
- 01/12/2025 – Georgian Citizens No Longer Eligible for Simplified Employment in Poland
- 24/05/2024 – BREAKING: US Announces Visa Restrictions and Review of All US-Georgia Cooperation