May 21, 2026 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said the conditions for holding “genuinely democratic elections” currently do not exist in Georgia, in a draft resolution that expressed “serious concerns” over Georgia’s “democratic breakdown” and “deep political and social crisis.”

The document will reportedly be voted on in the upcoming Assembly session in June.

The draft resolution, based on a report by the co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Ćudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE), regrets that the democratic backsliding in Georgia has continued “unabated,” alongside what it describes as “a crackdown on civil society, political opposition and dissent.” It also says that none of the Assembly’s previous “urgent recommendations” have been addressed by the Georgian authorities.

“The continuing breakdown of democracy in Georgia and the lack of any response to the recommendations of the Assembly to address this, raise serious doubts about the authorities’ willingness to abide by Georgia’s membership obligations and accession commitments to the Council of Europe,” the document says.

While stressing that the Assembly remains committed to “an open and results-oriented dialogue” with the Georgian authorities, the document emphasizes that “membership of the Council of Europe is a privilege that comes with rights and obligations.” It adds that “the principles and standards of the Organization, as well as the obligations stemming from its membership and the imperative need to honour these obligations fully cannot be put into question or negotiated.”

The resolution describes as “unacceptable” the prosecution of opposition politicians on what it calls “politically motivated” and “trumped-up charges,” and reiterates that banning opposition parties in Georgia would “effectively establish a one-party dictatorship in Georgia, which violates essential democratic principles and is incompatible with Council of Europe membership.” The document urges the authorities to withdraw their lawsuit in the Constitutional Court aimed at banning opposition parties and to end related prosecutions.

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Referring to what it calls a “relentless crackdown” on the opposition, civil society, and independent media, as well as “extreme social and political polarization,” the document argues that “the conditions for holding genuinely democratic elections currently do not exist in Georgia.” It reiterates its call on the authorities to “initiate as a priority an open and inclusive political process involving all political forces and civil stakeholders, to re-establish a genuinely free and democratic political environment in the country, in line with the clear expectations and ambitions of the Georgian society.”

The document further states that “politically motivated prosecutions with no other objective than to silence dissenting voices raise the spectre of the existence of political prisoners” and is “incompatible with a democratic society and Georgia’s membership obligations.” It mentions two opposition jailed figures, Ahali party co-founder Nika Melia and Droa party leader Elene Khostahira, saying they are prosecuted on “clearly trumped-up charges.”

The resolution also calls on the authorities to “fully repeal” recently adopted “repressive legislation,” including “controversial amendments to the Criminal Code, the Law on Political Union of Citizens, as well as the Code of Administrative Offenses.” It reiterates its recommendation that the Code on Administrative Offenses be replaced by “an entirely new law” to be developed “in close consultation with the Council of Europe to ensure its compliance with European norms and standards, including the ECHR.”

Saying that “a dynamic and pluralistic civil society is essential for a well-functioning democracy,” the document deplores “increasingly shrinking space” for civil society organizations in Georgia. It condemns the “continued assault” on CSOs, their leadership and independent media, “including through the abuse of controversial legislation.”

As a first step, the document calls on the authorities to repeal the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence (Foreign Agents Law), the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), as well as amendments to the Law on Grants.

The document also raises concerns over Georgia’s recent controversial education reform, saying to “dispel understandable corruption concerns,” the authorities should “establish a transparent and independent mechanism to govern the privatization of any university assets that now may have become surplus as a result of the new ‘One City – One Faculty’ reform.”

It further “deplores” that despite its repeated calls, “no credible investigations have been
conducted into police brutality and other human rights abuses committed during demonstrations, nor into the many reports of torture and ill-treatment of demonstrators during their arrest and detention.” It also calls for “a credible, independent and effective investigation” into allegations that prohibited chemical agents were used by police during the dispersal of protests in late 2024.

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The document says the Assembly “fully shares” the findings and conclusions of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report and urges the Georgian authorities to fully implement the recommendations.

“The Assembly reiterates its call to the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe to use all available means, including those under Article 52 of the ECHR, and its invitation to all Council of Europe member States to consider the use of interstate applications to the ECtHR under Article 33 of the Convention, to ensure that Georgia fully honour all the standards and obligations stemming from Council of Europe membership,” the document concludes adding that it “regrets that no use to date has been made of these mechanisms offered by the ECHR.”

The Georgian Dream parliamentary delegation to PACE suspended its participation after the 2025 winter session, during which PACE conditionally ratified the credentials of the delegation on the understanding that new parliamentary elections would be set and “all political prisoners” released.

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