COPENHAGEN, 16 December 2024 – In light of ongoing protests and continuing reports of violence in Georgia, the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Lucie Potůčková (Czech Republic) together with the Committee’s Rapporteur, Carina Ödebrink (Sweden), reiterate their call on the Georgian authorities to uphold the fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression. Today they issued the following statement:

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

We are alarmed by the continued reports of disproportionate use of force against protesters, as well as the targeted violence and persecution of opposition voices and media representatives. Fundamental rights, including the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of association, and the freedom of expression, must be upheld and protected in accordance with Georgia’s Constitution and OSCE commitments. The OSCE PA is determined to support the Georgian people’s democratic aspirations as stated in respective paragraphs in the Bucharest Declaration.

We strongly reiterate that the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by law enforcement officials against protesters constitutes serious breaches of the right to peaceful assembly. Authorities need to ensure that all law enforcement respect these fundamental principles, as well as to promptly and thoroughly investigate any incidents and allegations of excessive force or misconduct against protesters, as called for by the Georgian Public Defender.

We share the concerns expressed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights following the October parliamentary elections, the enactment of the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law, and the use of excessive force by police during protests. We also fully support the 13 December statement by the OSCE Troika – comprising Malta, North Macedonia and Finland – urging Georgian authorities to make use of the various tools and expertise the OSCE and its institutions can offer.”

The human rights committee leaders echoed the recent call of OSCE PA Special Representative on the South Caucasus Luis Graça (Portugal) for all sides to engage in a constructive and open dialogue.