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Samadashvili: Possible Expulsion from Council of Europe a 'Massive Alarm Bell'
Opposition party Lelo leader Salome Samadashvili has warned that the prospect of Georgia's expulsion from the Council of Europe should serve as a grave warning to the public, saying it highlights the country's deepening isolation under the current government.
Her remarks came after 51 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) signed a declaration criticizing Georgia's democratic backsliding and raising the possibility of challenging the credentials of its delegation.
Samadashvili, one of the leaders of the party Lelo - Strong Georgia, accused the ruling Georgian Dream government of undermining the country's European path. "The Council of Europe is the first and most significant European organization we joined many years ago. In essence, this marked the beginning of Georgia's path toward EU membership and integration into European space," she said.
According to her, the government's record has moved Georgia further away from those commitments. "Today, our country is governed by a regime that is effectively an extension of Vladimir Putin's Russian regime in Georgia," she said. "Not a single recommendation or demand of the Council of Europe has been fulfilled to date; on the contrary, every step has been taken in the opposite direction."
Samadashvili said the declaration by PACE deputies did not come as a surprise. "It was inevitable that the issue of Georgia's expulsion from the Council of Europe would eventually appear on the political agenda. Fortunately, this will not be a simple procedure and will require lengthy discussions," she noted. "The fact that this issue is now on the agenda should be a massive alarm bell for every citizen of Georgia, indicating where Ivanishvili and his Russian regime are leading the country."
Seventh Georgian NGO Receives Notice Under Controversial Foreign Agents Law
The Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) has become the seventh civil society organization in Georgia to receive an inspection notice under the country's Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the controversial law that came into force in late May.
"In this letter, we are accused of violating the so-called 'foreign agents registration law,' threatened with criminal liability, and asked to explain why we have not registered as agents," the EPRC said in an August 20 statement.
Letters cite financial records, publicly available information, and findings from a separate June inspection to argue that the NGOs' activities "could constitute political activity" under the law. The Bureau warns of potential criminal liability for failing to register as an "agent of a foreign principal" and requests explanations for missing deadlines.
The letters also reference previous public statements by NGO representatives regarding their refusal to comply with a June court order and alleged destruction of documentation. Each organization has been given ten days to submit a response.
