Irakli Kirtskhalia, parliamentary majority leader from the ruling Georgian Dream, sharply criticized Sweden while denouncing the recent invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism on Georgia, claiming that Sweden itself is facing rising crime and economic stagnation and should focus on its own challenges rather than “problems that do not exist in Georgia.”
Sweden was among the 24 OSCE member states that on January 29 invoked the Moscow Mechanism on Georgia, enabling the establishment of an independent expert mission to examine serious human rights concerns in the country, with particular attention to developments since spring 2024.
Speaking during a parliamentary plenary session on February 3, Kirtskhalia described the move as “yet another clear example of a foreign country’s interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.” He argued that institutions and mechanisms intended to promote cooperation have, in recent years, been used “to punish undesirable political opponents.”
Kirtskhalia claimed that human rights in Georgia are “better protected” than in most of the countries that supported the Moscow Mechanism and said OSCE representatives are free to investigate in Georgia “whatever they wish and for as long as they wish.”
He said his remarks were prompted in part by reports that Sweden’s Moderate Youth Party awarded a Freedom Prize to Georgian demonstrators.
“The fact that the prize was given to all demonstrators, including violent radicals, demonstrates bias toward those engaging in violence and constitutes yet another gross and unfriendly act of interference in Georgian politics,” Kirtskhalia said.
Turning his criticism toward Sweden, Kirtskhalia claimed that the country is facing a sharp increase in discriminatory and hate-motivated crimes, along with a growing risk of organized crime. He also alleged a general rise in crime rates, including what he described as a steady increase in gang-related shootings and explosions.
He further asserted that Sweden is experiencing economic stagnation, citing high inflation, weak domestic demand, rising household debt, and long waiting times for medical treatment.
“These concerns are based on facts, statistics, and objective realities,” Kirtskhalia said, urging Sweden “not to spend time worrying about problems that do not exist in Georgia” and instead to address its own “serious and objectively concerning challenges.”
Sweden has historically been one of Georgia’s key international partners but suspended direct cooperation with Georgian state authorities following Georgia’s disputed 2024 parliamentary elections. Swedish authorities have said cooperation would resume once Georgia returns to its EU integration path. In July 2025, Georgia’s chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Swedish Foreign Ministry, where a senior official expressed serious concern over the human rights situation in Georgia.
Image: Imedi News
