OSCE Parliamentary Assembly urges Georgian Gov’t to “uphold fundamental freedoms” amid protests

Lucie Potůčková, the Chair of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, and Carina Ödebrink, the Committee’s Rapporteur, on Monday called on the Georgian authorities to “respect the fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression” amid ongoing protests in the country against the Government's decision last month to postpone the European Union accession talks until 2028.

We are deeply concerned about the current situation in light of reports of violence against Georgian citizens exercising their fundamental rights”, they said and called on Georgian authorities to take “immediate action to end the persecution of civil society, media, and political opposition”. 

The statement also highlighted concerns over the “disproportionate use of force” against protesters and the “targeted violence” against opposition figures and media representatives. 

The committee leaders highlighted fundamental rights, including the freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression, “must be protected in accordance with Georgia’s Constitution and OSCE commitments”. 

Potůčková and Ödebrink emphasised that “excessive and indiscriminate force” by law enforcement officials against protesters constituted a “serious breach” of the right to peaceful assembly.

They called on Georgian authorities to ensure that law enforcement respected the fundamental rights and to “promptly investigate” any allegations of excessive force or misconduct, as recommended by the Georgian Public Defender.

The statement also aligned with the concerns expressed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights over the October parliamentary elections, the transparency of foreign influence law, and the police's use of “excessive force” during protests. 

The officials also voiced support for the OSCE Troika’s statement this week, urging Georgian authorities to use the tools and expertise available through the OSCE and its institutions.