On Thursday 10 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution denouncing the growing political division in Georgia and formulating a series of recommendations in addition to those it had already adopted in January.
At the time, these led to all members of the Georgian delegation resigning, despite the fact that the Assembly had ratified their credentials in the interests of dialogue.
Since January, “the situation has deteriorated significantly on practically all fronts”, lamented the co-rapporteur, Edite Estrela (Portuguese, Socialist).
Deeply concerned about the “devastating impact“ of the law on registering foreign agents, which pursues the same objectives as the law on the transparency of foreign influence, the Assembly also denounced the reprisals against demonstrators, journalists and civic leaders, the threats to freedom of expression and assembly, the deterioration of the media environment, the mistreatment of detainees, etc.
Noting the pressure being brought to bear on the opposition parties, she warned:
“The effective prohibition of democratic opposition in Georgia would be a gross violation of Georgia’s membership obligations under the statute of the Council of Europe. Even if not yet enacted, the threat of such action alone already deepens the political schism in the country and prevents the resolution of the ongoing crisis”.
At this stage, the resolution notes that “the continuing democratic backsliding in Georgia in general, would not be conducive to ratifying the credentials of a new Georgian delegation should they be presented at a future Assembly part-session".
Link to the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/gdx (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)