OSCE Report Warns of Democratic Backsliding in Georgia
By Messenger Staff
Friday, March 13, 2026
A new report by the OSCE fact-finding mission under the Moscow Mechanism says Georgia has experienced significant democratic backsliding since spring 2024, raising concerns about human rights, elections, and restrictions on civil society and political opposition.
The mission was launched on January 29, 2026 after 23 OSCE participating states invoked the Moscow Mechanism to assess Georgia's implementation of its international commitments and document developments affecting civil society, media freedom, the rule of law, and political pluralism.
According to the report, the period since 2024 has seen "a pattern of violence and other abuses against protesters, leaders of political opposition and journalists," sometimes reaching the threshold of torture, while perpetrators often enjoy impunity. Authorities were also found to have gradually restricted freedom of expression, assembly, and association through legislation targeting civil society groups, independent media, and the LGBTQ+ community.
The report also notes a climate of hostility toward government critics. It says opposition figures and activists have faced intimidation, criminal proceedings, and violent attacks by unidentified groups, while government-affiliated individuals have used stigmatizing rhetoric against critics.
Elections held in 2024 and 2025 are another focus of the report. Observers said the 2024 parliamentary vote offered a wide choice of candidates but took place in a polarized environment marked by concerns over legislation affecting fundamental freedoms. Reports of pressure on voters, especially public sector employees, and concerns about vote secrecy raised doubts about whether the results reflected the will of voters.
Subsequent changes to election legislation and the conduct of local elections in 2025 were also criticized by observers and civil society groups. Some opposition parties boycotted the vote, while others said the political environment had become too restrictive for fair competition.
The report devotes considerable attention to controversial laws regulating foreign funding. The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence requires organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as entities "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" and disclose financial information.
Authorities later adopted an additional Foreign Agents Registration Act, which introduced stricter rules for individuals and organizations considered "agents of a foreign principal." The law requires detailed registration and reporting and includes criminal penalties, including possible prison sentences of up to five years for violations.
The report also raises concerns about police conduct during protests, the detention of opposition figures and demonstrators, restrictions on media and NGOs, and reforms affecting the judiciary and higher education system.
Among its recommendations, the mission calls on Georgian authorities to repeal the foreign influence laws and certain amendments to broadcasting legislation, investigate allegations of election irregularities, protect freedom of assembly and expression, release individuals held for political reasons, and ensure judicial independence.
The report also urges OSCE states and the broader international community to support civil society in Georgia, monitor the implementation of the recommendations, and consider measures against those responsible for serious human rights violations.
The report said that Georgian authorities cooperated with the mission and hosted meetings with officials and opposition representatives during the rapporteur's visit to Tbilisi in February 2026. However, the report concludes that the overall developments since 2024 pose serious challenges to democratic governance and fundamental freedoms in the country.
