The recently released US State Department’s Annual human rights report on Georgia gives a daunting overview of what many regard as accelerating democratic backsliding in areas ranging from media freedom to human rights or violence against journalists.
Freedom of Assembly and Media Freedom
Noting the “worsening environment for media pluralism, and insufficient accountability for violence against journalists” the report focuses on the non-investigation and non-prosecution of the July 5, 2021 mass violence by Russia-linked groups as well as the abduction of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli in 2017.
On July 5, 2021, using an anti-homophobia march as a pretext, mobs of organized Russia-linked extremist Alt Info assaulted journalists beating 53 of them with one – a TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava – dying days later.
Mr Mukhtarli, a prominent Azerbaijani opposition journalist, was abducted from downtown Tbilisi in 2017 resurfacing in an Azerbaijani jail days later. He has repeatedly accused personally Bidzina Ivanishvili for ordering his kidnapping.
The report also notes concern expressed by watchdogs on the Georgian Defence Ministry’s lawsuit against Formula TV Founder David Kezerashvili which aims to paralize and seize the critical broadcaster.
Along the same lines, number of criminal prosecutions against critical media owners are also considered as politically motivatred. This includes the 2019 charging of Avtandil Tsereteli, the father of TV Pirveli’s founder, for his alleged involvement in a money laundering case, along with the founder of TBC Bank and his deputy, Badri Japaridze, who were both leaders of the opposition party Lelo.
Political prisoners and detainees
The report includes a section titled “political prisoners and detainees” featuring two names – Nika Gvaramia and Mikheil Saakashvili.
The arrest of opposition Mtavari TV CEO Nika Gvaramia is outright deemed as politically motivated, citing an Amnetsty International’s assessment of Mr Gvaramia’s 3.5 year sentence as “a blatant act of politically motivated prosecution in retaliation of his dissenting views and criticism of the authorities.”
A statement of 42 Georgian CSOs in which Gvaramia’s imprisonment is “is perceived as a warning and threat to other independent media outlets to stop critical coverage of the government’s performance, to cease watchdog activities, and to refrain from the disclosure of facts that are undesirable to the government” as also cited.
On Saakashvili, the report cites multitude of concerns raised on Saakashvili’s health and multiple calls by the PDO to provide him adequate medical care amid significant deterioration of health.
Judiciary
The report focuses on the deteriorated state of affairs in the Georgian judiciary with the emphasis on the influence of a group of judges known as “clan.” Despite some legislative changes claimed to be addressing concerns, the Coaliton for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary notes that the problem of concentration of power and informal, clan-bsed influence in the judicial system remains.
Criticism of the Venice Commission also criticized the increased powers given to the High Council of Justice to transfer judges without their consent and the vague grounds for disciplinary misconduct and suspension of judges’ salaries”.
The report highlights the Georgian Parliament’s controversial decision to override a presidential veto and pass amendments that expanded the government’s ability to conduct covert investigative measures, despite concerns raised by the Venice Commission and others.
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