Amnesty International: ‘Elections marred by severe reprisals and risk of further violence’

Amnesty International has published a statement ahead of the Georgian elections, emphasising that they were taking place ‘amid severe political reprisals against opposition figures and civil society’.

‘With opposition leaders jailed and civil society organisations under attack, the Georgian authorities are holding an election campaign in a context where people’s rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are being crushed’, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director, said.

‘The Georgian authorities must uphold their human rights obligations and stop the unlawful use of police force, arbitrary detentions and the torture or other ill-treatment of protesters. These abuses have already pushed the country into a deep human rights crisis following parliamentary elections in October 2024’, Krivosheev concluded.