Democratic backsliding and pressure on the opposition and civil society continue in Georgia, stated the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
In a draft resolution prepared on the basis of a report by co-rapporteurs Edith Estrela and Sabina Ćudić, the Committee expressed “serious concern about the democratic breakdown and deep political and social crisis in Georgia,” warning that “democratic backsliding, as well as pressure against civil society, the political opposition and dissenting voices, continues unabated.”
The Committee also expressed regret that “none of the Assembly’s urgent recommendations have been implemented,” noting that the continued deterioration of democracy raises “serious doubts regarding the authorities’ willingness to honor Georgia’s obligations and commitments as a member state of the Council of Europe.”
Based on the draft resolution, membership in the Council of Europe “is a privilege that comes with rights and responsibilities,” while the organization’s principles and standards “cannot be questioned or subject to negotiation.”
The Monitoring Committee also described as “unacceptable” an initiative that would allegedly lead to “the effective banning of practically all democratic opposition parties in Georgia and the criminal prosecution of their leaders on politically motivated and fabricated charges.”
Committee says continuation of such actions “would result in the de facto establishment of a one-party dictatorship in Georgia.”
