Rights Groups Urge EU to Act Against Georgia’s Crackdown on Civil Society

Rights Groups Urge EU to Act Against Georgia’s Crackdown on Civil Society
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The European Union and its member states should take urgent diplomatic and legal steps to address Georgia’s ongoing crackdown on independent civil society and media, according to a joint statement by nine international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch.

Georgian authorities have frozen the bank accounts of seven prominent civil society groups and summoned several of their leaders for questioning under a controversial criminal investigation. This move follows recent legislation that restricts the operations of non-governmental organizations and independent media outlets.

The measures come in the wake of protests over alleged election manipulation in October 2024 and the government’s decision to halt EU accession efforts. The crackdown has included excessive police force and the detention of protesters and opposition figures on questionable charges.

Human Rights Watch stated that these actions violate Georgia’s international human rights commitments and called on the EU to pressure the Georgian government to reverse course.