The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) states that “conditions for holding genuinely democratic elections do not currently exist in Georgia,” citing ongoing pressure on the democratic opposition, civil society, and independent media, as well as what it described as extreme political and social polarization in the country.
In a statement, the Committee also called for the repeal of what it described as “repressive legislation,” including amendments to Georgia’s Criminal Code, the Law on Political Associations of Citizens, and the Code of Administrative Offences.
The Monitoring Committee further condemned what it called “continuous attacks on civil society organisations, their leadership, and independent media.”
It also criticized the lack of what it described as a credible investigation into allegations of police brutality and other human rights violations during demonstrations.
“The Monitoring Committee expresses particular concern over reports regarding the use of banned chemical substances to disperse a protest in Tbilisi,” the statement reads.
The Committee additionally called on the Georgian authorities to fully comply with rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and recommendations issued under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism.
