PACE Monitors Warn Georgian Dream Prosecuting Opposition Would Lead to ‘Dictatorship’

The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for monitoring Georgia urged the authorities to follow Venice Commission recommendations by repealing controversial legislation and to stop prosecuting opposition politicians, warning that such actions “would effectively establish dictatorship in Georgia.”

PACE’s November 19 statement follows the November 10–12 visit of co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela and Sabina Ćudić to Georgia. The statement says the co-rapporteurs urged the Georgian authorities to “fully implement” the Venice Commission’s recommendations regarding controversial legislation.

“We reiterate what the Assembly already stated in its last resolution on Georgia,” the statement quotes co-rapporters as saying. “The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, the Georgian Foreign Agents Registration Act, the Law on Grants, and the current Law on Administrative Offences are incompatible with European standards and norms, and as the Venice Commission concluded, they should be repealed.”

The statement adds that the co-rapporteurs also expressed “deep concern” over the launch of criminal prosecution against opposition members, “who could face lengthy prison sentences on trumped-up charges for crimes against the state.”

“These charges are clearly politically motivated and should be seen in connection with the recent appeals to the Constitutional Court to ban several major opposition parties in Georgia,” the PACE co-rapporteurs said, adding “Such actions have no place in a democratic society. We urge the authorities to end these actions, which would effectively establish dictatorship in Georgia.”

The statement then notes the co-rapporteurs’ recent visit to Georgia, saying they welcomed the opportunity to meet imprisoned political leaders. However, it adds that the co-rapporteurs “deeply regretted the refusal by the representatives of the government to meet them, as well as the fact that their request to meet with Mzia Amaghlobeli in prison was refused by the authorities.”

“During their visit, the co-rapporteurs emphasised their willingness to engage with the authorities to address the Assembly’s demands and concerns,” the statement concludes.

During their stay in Georgia, the PACE co-rapporteurs met with civil society representatives and opposition members, as well as the disputed Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Foreign Relations Committee chair Nikoloz Samkharadze. After the meeting, Samkharadze said the co-rapporteurs were pointed to the “red lines,” which he said include the scheduling new parliamentary elections as called for in PACE’s winter session resolution.

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.

Also Read:

• 02/10/2025 – PACE Resolution Warns of Impending “One-Party Dictatorship Incompatible with Council of Europe membership”
• 10/04/2025 – PACE Condemns Rapid Democratic Backsliding in Georgia, Urges Repeal of Controversial Laws
• 04/02/2025 – Kosachev: GD’s Recall of PACE Delegation “Deserves Respect”
• 30/01/2025 – GD Tries to Assuage Supporters After PACE Fail, Says Suspends Work in Assembly