PACE Members Warn of Possible Expulsion of Georgia from Council of Europe
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, August 21, 2025
A group of 51 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has warned that Georgia is violating its commitments as a Council of Europe member and risks losing its place in the organization.
In a joint statement released on August 19, the lawmakers accused the Georgian government of pursuing a "path of repression and disengagement" that they say undermines democracy and human rights.
"If Georgia makes no progress in reversing its authoritarian course, we will challenge the credentials of the Georgian delegation on substantive grounds and call for the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers to begin the expulsion process," the statement read. The lawmakers said the country is in "serious violation of the basic principles of the Council of Europe mentioned in Article 3 of its Statute."
The statement recalled that PACE ratified the Georgian delegation's credentials earlier this year only on the condition that authorities free political prisoners and call new parliamentary elections. "Instead, the situation has worsened dramatically," it said, pointing to the imprisonment of opposition leaders, prosecutions of activists, and cases against journalists described as "politically motivated."
According to the lawmakers, these developments represent "a sustained campaign to eliminate democratic opposition, restrict freedom of expression and silence civil society."
The Georgian delegation has also stopped participating in the Assembly. On January 29, just hours after PACE voted to ratify its credentials with conditions, delegation head Tea Tsulukiani announced that Georgia would suspend its work in the body.
PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos responded that membership in the Assembly is not optional. "Since the delegation's credentials are ratified, participation in the Assembly is an obligation, not a choice," he said.
