The European Union and its member states should use all available diplomatic and legal tools to press the Georgiangovernment to end its persecution of independent civil society and the media, nine international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, said in a joint statement to the EU.
The Georgian authorities have frozen the bank accounts of seven leading human rights and civil society organizations and summoned several of their leaders for questioning as part of a spurious criminal investigation. The latest escalation follows the adoption of a raft of legislative measures restricting and marginalizing the work of civil society.
"The EU and its member states should urgently respond to the Georgian government's attempt to eliminate independent organizations and media in the country," said Iskra Kirova, Europe and Central Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "The harassment of these groups violates Georgia's obligations under multiple human rights treaties. EU member states should muster the consensus to press the government to change course."
The repression followed the wave of protests in response to widespread election manipulation in October 2024 and the government's decision to abort Georgia's effort to join the EU and related reforms. Besides the restrictive legislative changes, the government crackdown involved excessive use of police force and arbitrary arrests and prosecutions of protesters, opposition activists, and leaders on spurious criminal and administrative charges.
