The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee states that “conditions for holding genuinely democratic elections do not currently exist in Georgia,” citing “ongoing pressure on the democratic opposition, civil society, and independent media, as well as extreme social and political polarization in the country.”

The Monitoring Committee also calls for the repeal of “repressive legislation,” including amendments to the Criminal Code, the Law on Political Associations of Citizens, and the Code of Administrative Offences.

The committee condemns the “continuous attacks on civil society organisations, their leadership, and independent media.”

It also condemns the fact that “no credible investigation has been conducted into police brutality and other human rights violations during demonstrations.”

“The Monitoring Committee expresses particular concern over reports regarding the use of banned chemical substances to disperse a protest in Tbilisi.

The Committee calls on the Georgian authorities to fully comply with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the recommendations issued under the OSCE ‘Moscow Mechanism’,” the statement reads.