The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the challenges of democracy in Georgia.
“The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expresses deep concern regarding the recent developments in Georgia, which raise serious doubts regarding the country’s commitment to international democratic norms and Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as its readiness to fulfill its obligations as a member of the Council of Europe,” the resolution states.
The document mentions that the European Parliamentary Assembly fully supports the opinion of the Venice Commission regarding the law “On transparency of foreign influence” and believes that the law should be completely and immediately repealed.
“The Assembly considers that this law, as well as the manner of its adoption by the Parliament of Georgia, is incompatible with European democratic and human rights standards. The Assembly believes that this law has nothing to do with financial transparency of non-profit entities, including civil society organizations and the media – for which Georgia already has a comprehensive legal framework – just as it has nothing to do with preventing covert and malicious foreign interference. On the contrary, it allows excessive government control over civil society and the media. Therefore, the law should be canceled immediately,” the document states.
The resolution also states that the Assembly is deeply concerned about the use of excessive, disproportionate force, violent attacks and intimidation by the police against demonstrators, civil society activists, journalists and parliamentarians. It is also said that these facts have not been fully investigated and not properly condemned by the authorities, which may lead to a climate of impunity for such actions.
“The Assembly emphasizes that such actions have no place in a democratic society. All reports of excessive use of force, violent attacks, and intimidation campaigns must be immediately fully and transparently investigated by the relevant authorities, and the perpetrators must be punished,” the resolution states.
The document was accepted with 66 votes against 4, 5 delegates abstained from participating in the voting. The authors of the resolution are co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Claude Kern and Edith Estrella.
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