UN rapporteur says Georgia ignored inquiries on charges against rights defenders
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, November 21, 2025
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor says the Georgian government failed to reply to her formal communication about administrative charges brought against several human rights advocates. In a public statement, Lawlor wrote, "I wrote to the Government of Georgia about the administrative charges against human rights defenders, including WHRD Baia Pataraia, and the legal and administrative harassment of CSOs. Sadly the Government did not respond."
Lawlor also released a message that she sent to the government on July 24, 2025, noting that it had been confidential until now. "The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. Regrettably, the Government did not reply within this timeframe. If a reply is received it will be posted on the UN Special Procedures communications database," she stated.
The letter was signed by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. They raised concerns about the use of Article 173 of Georgia's Administrative Offenses Code, a provision introduced in February 2025.
According to the rapporteurs, twenty activists, journalists and politicians were summoned to court on June 11, 2025, with hearings set for the following day. The letter says, "These individuals, including Ms. Baia Pataraia, were accused of insulting members of the Georgian Dream Party through their Facebook posts. Ms. Pataraia's lawyer was informed that she was charged under article 173 of the Administrative Offenses Code of Georgia. We express serious concerns about its use to punish human rights defenders and journalists for their posts on social media."
