European Commission report: Georgia should release all arbitrarily detained people; repeal legislation that restricts fundamental rights and freedoms; comprehensively investigate allegations of excessive use of force and torture
Human rights have been severely curtailed and undermined by increasingly repressive laws that infringe upon fundamental rights, in particular freedoms of expression, assembly and association, as well as equality and non-discrimination, - reads a report on Georgia, prepared as part of the European Commission’s 2026 enlargement package.
“Legislative amendments adopted in October 2025 and March 2026 to the Law on political associations of citizens, the Law on grants, the Criminal Code and related legislation significantly expanded the restrictive legal framework governing civil society, political participation and foreign funding in Georgia. In successive opinions, the Venice Commission held that these amendments, combined with previously adopted restrictive measures, impose disproportionate and unnecessary restrictions on the fundamental rights and political freedoms of the Georgian citizens, concerning in particular freedom of association and expression, and is contrary to international standards”, reads the document.
According to the document, the Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and remain valid.
“Georgia should release all arbitrarily detained people, including politicians, journalists and activists; repeal legislation that restricts fundamental rights and freedoms in breach of European and international standards, in particular the Law on transparency of foreign influence, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, amendments to the Law on grants, to the Law on assemblies and demonstrations, to the Law on political associations and related amendments to the Administrative Offences Code and Criminal Code, as well as the legislative package on family values and protection of minors; comprehensively investigate allegations of excessive use of force, torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement and bring the perpetrators to justice”, reads the report.
