The resolution was supported by 83 deputies, 5 voted against, and 4 abstained.

The draft resolution states that democratic backsliding in Georgia continues without interruption, as does pressure against civil society, the political opposition, and dissenting voices. According to the document, none of the Assembly’s urgent recommendations have been implemented.

“The persistent failure of democracy in Georgia and the lack of response to the Assembly’s recommendations on addressing this issue raise serious doubts about the authorities’ willingness to fulfill Georgia’s obligations as a member and candidate for membership in the Council of Europe,” the document states.

At the same time, the draft resolution emphasizes that the Assembly remains committed to an open and results-oriented dialogue with the Georgian authorities, as well as with all other political and social forces in the country.

The draft resolution also notes that the initiative to ban practically all democratic opposition parties in Georgia and to prosecute their leaders on politically motivated and fabricated charges is unacceptable.

“The Assembly reiterates that if this path continues, it would effectively establish a one-party dictatorship in Georgia, which violates fundamental principles of democracy and is incompatible with Council of Europe membership. It calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately withdraw their application to the Constitutional Court to ban democratic opposition parties and to end the unjust and politically motivated criminal prosecution of their leaders,” the document states.

The draft further emphasizes that, as a result of the “relentless suppression of the democratic opposition, civil society, and independent media, as well as the extreme social and political polarization in the country, there are currently no conditions in Georgia for genuinely democratic elections.”

“Accordingly, the Assembly once again calls on the Georgian authorities to initiate an open and inclusive political process involving all political forces and civil stakeholders in order to restore a genuinely free and democratic political environment in line with the clear expectations and aspirations of Georgian society,” it states.

It also highlights that “restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, including through repressive legislation and the misuse of politically motivated legal proceedings against civil society, independent media, opposition forces, and individual protesters, must be brought to an immediate end.”

“Politically motivated prosecutions aimed at silencing dissent raise the risk of the existence of political prisoners and are incompatible with a democratic society and Georgia’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe. In this context, the Assembly condemns politically motivated and disproportionate sentences against opposition leaders and others, including Nika Melia and Elene Khoshtaria, on clearly fabricated charges. The Assembly calls on the Georgian authorities to fully repeal recently adopted repressive legislation, particularly amendments to the Criminal Code, the Law on Political Associations of Citizens, and the Code of Administrative Offenses. It reiterates its recommendation that the Code of Administrative Offenses be replaced entirely with a new law developed in close consultation with the Council of Europe, to ensure compliance with European norms and standards, including the European Convention on Human Rights,” the draft states.

The Assembly stresses that a dynamic and pluralistic civil society is essential for a well-functioning democracy and plays a crucial role in a country’s democratic development.

“It condemns the increasingly shrinking space for civil society, which threatens its very existence. This trend must be reversed. The Assembly also condemns attacks on civil society organizations and their leaders, as well as on independent media, including through the abuse of controversial legislation. In particular, the ‘Foreign Influence Transparency Law’ and the ‘Foreign Agents Registration Law (GEOFARA)’, along with recent amendments to the Law on Grants, must be repealed in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission,” it states.

The Assembly expresses concern over the impact of recent education reforms on academic freedom and stresses that the independence of academic institutions must be ensured.

“To address legitimate concerns about corruption, the Assembly calls on the authorities to establish a transparent and independent mechanism to manage the privatization of university assets that may result from the new ‘one city - one faculty’ reform,” it notes.

The Assembly regrets that, despite repeated calls, no credible investigation has been conducted into police brutality and other human rights violations during demonstrations, including torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

“It is particularly concerned by reports that banned chemical substances were used to disperse protests in Tbilisi. A credible, independent, and effective investigation into these allegations must be conducted urgently,” it states.

The Assembly calls on the Georgian authorities to fully implement the general measures required by the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in cases such as “Tsaava and Others v. Georgia,” “Meqvabishvili v. Georgia,” and “Makharashvili and Others v. Georgia,” as well as in 77 other pending judgments.

The Assembly also notes a report prepared under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, initiated by 24 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). It fully shares its findings, which align with previous resolutions on democratic backsliding in Georgia, and calls on the Georgian authorities to fully implement its recommendations.