Georgian civil society is under increasing pressure from authoritarianism and moves by the Georgian Dream party to tighten the political grip. Since the autumn parliamentary elections, which were marred by coercion and apparent rigging, protests have been met with brutal repression by police and groups of hired thugs.
As a non-governmental organisation, Arnika and our partners at GreenPole are now in their second year of setting up a citizen air quality monitoring network in the country. This system, AirGE, includes a hundred stations that inform citizens about pollution levels in their cities - both through active messaging by our partners on social media, for example, and through an online application.
However, even such activities come under pressure from authoritarian intentions and malicious propaganda that frames all such international cooperation as "pursuing interests of a foreign power" and the like.
Georgia is drifting away from Europe - not so much by the will of its citizens, but by the machinations of its government. And instead of a vision of stability and environmental democracy, fear of heavy-handed rule, violence and pessimism are taking its place. We therefore join an international open letter from more than 100 civil society organisations expressing solidarity with the Georgian people and their resistance to authoritarianism:
In Solidarity with Georgian Civil Society and the people of Georgia
As human rights defenders and activists across the globe, we are alarmed by the Georgian authorities’ efforts to stifle civil society voices and suppress peaceful protests. Our colleagues and partners in Georgia are being threatened and prosecuted, simply for standing up to protect human rights and civic freedoms.
To our friends and allies in Georgia, please know that we stand with you as you courageously oppose your government's attempts to shrink civic space, undermine civil society organizations and social movements, suppress independent media, and erode political plurality. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Georgia in your brave fight for freedom and democracy, and we join your calls to the international community (including international financial institutions, governments and the European Union) to condemn these attacks.
Georgia’s civic space has further eroded in the past months, with the passing of the law “on transparency of foreign influence” in May 2024, despite widespread opposition. The months leading up to the parliamentary elections, held on 26 October 2024, have also been characterized by significant attacks on democracy, as highlighted also in a joint motion for an EU resolution that denounces alleged electoral fraud, serious irregularities in the electoral process, and a climate of fear (including through the arrests, home raids and intimidation of opposition politicians, civil society leaders, journalists, and other critical voices).
Georgia’s ruling party representatives and their proxies repeatedly label civil society as “centers of liberal fascism” and “foreign agents”, accusing them of instigating violations and openly threatening to prosecute them.
The announcement made by the Prime Minister of Georgia on November 28, 2024, to suspend negotiations with the European Union until 2028, provoked mass protests among the population and, at the same time, it contradicted Article 78 of the country's Constitution, which once again confirms the country's aspiration to become a member of the European Union and NATO.
Over the past week, more than 400 demonstrators have been detained and subjected to police violence and inhumane and brutal treatment. Peaceful protestors are chased and beaten by masked groups. Georgia’s ombudsperson described this as “intentional, severe violence for the purpose of punishment constitutes an act of torture.” On 7 December, masked thugs attacked journalists, who were covering the demonstration. On 3 and 4 December, the police raided the homes of activists and the offices of political parties, without presenting search warrants or giving reasons for the search. Despite numerous reports and footage documenting these abuses, no accountability measures have been taken against police officers who used excessive force.
This is a brutal attack on freedoms of speech and assembly, as well as on basic and fundamental rights for a democratic and pluralist society, that affects all of us. It is an attempt to dehumanize and stigmatize civil society activity, something that runs contrary to Georgia’s human rights commitments, as well as international human rights standards and values.
Before the law on foreign influence was passed, civil society from around the globe had called on financial institutions operating in Georgia to condemn it. Now, in the face of these renewed attacks, once again we call on these institutions to: use their leverage to promote an open civic space, as this is key to achieve development objectives; to ensure that Georgian civil society and citizens can safely exercise their right to participation and freedom of expression; and to ensure that their financial support does not contribute to human rights violations and the ongoing repression of civil society.
We call on international financial institutions, governments and other international partners of Georgia to publicly condemn this attack on human rights and democracy and express their support to Georgian civil society and people of Georgia who demand democracy and human rights.
Signed:
Organisations
- Aid Watch | Australia
- ALTSEAN-Burma | Myanmar
- Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) | Philippines
- Ang Aroroy Ay Alagaan (4As) | Philippines
- Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement | India
- Armenian Forests Environmental NGO | Armenia
- Arnika | Czech Republic
- ARTICLE 19 Europe
- Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE) | Asia
- Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders | Asia
- Asia-Pacific Gathering on Human Rights and Extractives (AP-Gathering) | Asia and the Pacific
- Asociación de Desarrollo para los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Peruana | Latin America
- Assembly of the Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defense of the Land and Territory (APIIDTT) | Mexico
- Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague | Czech Republic
- Balkani Wildlife Society | Bulgaria
- BankTrack | Netherlands
- Batani Foundation | Russia/USA
- Bir Duino | KyrgyzstanBlueprint for Free Speech | Germany
- Both ENDS | The Netherlands
- Caritas Czech Republic | Czech Republic
- CEE Bankwatch Network
- Centre for Community Mobilization and Support NGO | Armenia
- Civic Advisory Hub (CAH)| Africa
- Civil Platform Poti Citizens for their Rights | Georgia
- Cohesión Comunitaria e Innovación Social A.C. | Mexico
- Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) | Nigeria
- Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) | Nepal
- Community Resource Centre (CRC) | Thailand
- COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding | Nigeria
- Convergence of Initiatives for Environmental Justice (CIEJ) | Philippines
- Convergence of Youth for Environmental Justice (CYEJ) | Philippines
- Coopera | Germany
- Crude Accountability | USA
- Defenders in Development campaign | Global
- East African Crude Oil Host communities (EACOP HC) | Uganda
- EHA “Green World”, Ukraine
- Ekoltava | Ukraine
- Ekta Parishad | India
- Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (EIWEN) | Kenya
- Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation | Ukraine
- Environmental Club Eremurus | Ukraine
- Equitable Cambodia | Cambodia
- European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) | Europe
- FORZA | Ukraine
- GAIA Asia Pacific | Asia
- Global Rights I Nigeria
- Government Accountability Project | USA
- Green Foster Action | Uganda
- Growthwatch | India
- Human Rights Center - Spaces for Community Defense, Flourishing and Support | Mexico
- ICO “Environment - People - Law” | Ukraine
- Indian Social Action Forum | India
- Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group (INWOLAG) | Nepal
- Initiative for Right View (IRV) | Bangladesh
- Institute of regional sustainable development | Ukraine
- International Accountability Project | Global
- International Committee of indigenous Peoples of Russia |Russia | EU | USA
- International Rivers | Global
- Jamaa Resource Initiatives | Kenya
- JUHUDI Community Support Center I Omar Kofa Komora I Kenya I East Africa
- Justice and Empowerment Organization (JEO) Tanzania.
- KALIPUNAN ng mga Kilusang Masa (Gathering of Mass Movements) | Philippines
- Kallop Humanitarian and Environmental Center | Nigeria
- Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights | Kazakhstan
- Kilos Maralita | Philippines
- KIOS Foundation | Finland
- Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak atas Air (KRuHA) | Indonesia
- Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) | Nepal
- LBH ANGSANA, Indonesia
- Lumière Synergie pour le Développement | Senegal
- Movimiento Ecofeminista de El Salvador| El Salvador
- NESEHNUTÍ | Czech Republic
- NGO Black Sea Women’s Club
- NGO Center for Regional Initiatives (ASTREA) | Ukraine
- NGO CHESNO Movement | Ukraine
- NGO Ecoclub | Ukraine
- NGO Ekoltava, Ukraine
- NGO Forum on ADB | Asia
- NGO Plato | Ukraine
- NGO Ro3kvit Urban Coalition | Ukraine
- NGO “Ecosphera” | Ukraine
- NGO “UEC “Green Wave” | Ukraine
- Oyu Tolgoi Watch | Mongolia
- Pain aux Indigents et Appui à l'auto-Promotion (PIAP) | DRC
- Participatory Research & Action Network (PRAAN) | Bangladesh
- Partido Manggagawa (Workers’ Party) | Philippines
- PODER | México
- Public Association “Dignity” | Kazakhstan
- Razom We Stand
- Recourse | The Netherlands
- Rivers without Boundaries | Mongolia
- Rozviy Youth Climate Initiative | Ukraine
- Secours de la Femme Rurale au Développement (SFRD) | DRC
- Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) | Philippines
- Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM) | Philippines
- Southern Africa Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR) | Africa
- Tame Ko Teemahane women's foundation | Botswana
- Transparency International EU | Europe
- Transparency International Ireland | Ireland
- Trend Asia | Indonesia
- U-Cycle | Ukraine
- Ukraine Nature Network | Germany/Ukraine
- Urgewald | Germany
- Uzbek Forum for Human Rights | Germany/Uzbekistan
- WAE-HEAL | Tanzania
- Whistleblowing International Network | Global
- World March of Women | Philippines
- Zero Waste Lviv | Ukraine
- Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) | Zimbabwe
Individuals
- Ravi Rebbapragada (SAMATA) | India
- Shahinaz Adel (Environmental Lawyer) | Egypt
- Farida Sharifullina (civic activist against forced eviction) | Uzbekistan
- Jeff W. Ssebaggala (Witness Radio) | Uganda
- Atokhon Ghaniev | Tajikistan
- Ritu Thapa | Nepal
- Chalani Rubesinghe | Sri Lanka
- Sahra Aadan (Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders) | Somalia
- Yuyun Indradi | Indonesia
- Yuliia Melnyk (climate activist), Ukraine
- Ganna Gladkykh | Sweden
- Norman Jiwan I Indonesia
- Mirvari Gahramanli Azerbaijan
- Tanya Lee Roberts Davis (International Rivers) | Canada/Thailand
- Nazeli Vardanyan | Armenia
- Badhon Areng | Bangladesh
