Transparency International Georgia has announced that it will not monitor the upcoming municipal elections on October 4, 2025, marking the first time in the organization’s 25-year history that it has been unable to conduct election observation.
In a statement, the organization cited a repressive environment that poses serious risks for potential observers. Transparency International Georgia highlighted that recently adopted laws have made it nearly impossible for civil society organizations to operate freely, exposing them to threats of fines, criminal prosecution, and harassment.
The group is currently under dual scrutiny by Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, and its Executive Director has been summoned for questioning in connection with the so-called “face masks case,” raising concerns over politically motivated charges. Civil society members also face sustained disinformation campaigns, verbal assaults from high-ranking officials, and other forms of intimidation, leaving independent observers vulnerable to attacks and fabricated legal accusations.
Transparency International Georgia stressed the importance of the OSCE Copenhagen Document’s nine principles for free and fair elections, which include universal suffrage, secret ballots, equal opportunity to run for office, a free pre-election campaign, and impartial media coverage. The statement argued that in the current political climate—characterized by state capture, the discrediting of political opponents, and the imprisonment of opposition party members—it is impossible to uphold these principles.
“By observing these elections, we will not and cannot create the illusion of a free and fair election,” the organization said, concluding that under present conditions, election monitoring would be unsafe and ineffective.
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