The Tbilisi International Literature Festival has published an open letter calling on international cultural figures to reconsider cooperation with Georgian state institutions amid growing concerns over democracy, media freedom, and human rights.
The letter addresses organizers, curators, and participants of international cultural events, warning that festivals and cultural platforms can be used to create an image of normality while hiding repression.
“Cultural events and official representation on international platforms are not, by themselves, proof of freedom and democracy,” the statement reads.
The signatories say more than 150 people are currently imprisoned in Georgia as a result of politically motivated proceedings, including journalists, artists, and opposition figures.
The letter urges cultural organizations to ask questions, support independent voices, and avoid becoming part of what it describes as the normalization of repression.
