U.S. Report Highlights Human Rights Setbacks in Georgia

The U.S. Department of State's 2024 Human Rights Report paints a troubling picture of democratic and human rights conditions in Georgia, highlighting issues such as restrictive laws, political pressures, and various abuses as major challenges.

The document emphasizes that impunity for human rights violations remains a persistent problem despite occasional efforts by Georgian authorities to investigate and punish certain officials. Reports of torture, inhuman treatment, arbitrary detention and politically motivated prosecutions continued to emerge throughout the year, The Caspian Post reports citing Georgia Today.

Media freedom and free expression were outlined as especially under threat. Journalists and citizens faced violence, intimidation and unjust arrests while newly adopted legislation had a negative effect on public discourse. The so-called ‘Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence,’ as stated by credible non-governmental organizations cited in the report, reduced freedoms of association and expression. Another controversial measure, the ‘Law on Family Values and Protection of Minors,’ criminalized specific forms of expression and further narrowed the space for open debate.

The report connects these legislative changes to broader patterns of coercion, misuse of administrative resources and political intimidation, particularly in the run-up to the October parliamentary elections. Such tactics, it said, undermined the integrity of the electoral environment.

Conditions in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were also concerning. Both territories remain beyond the control of Georgia’s central government, with de facto authorities backed by Russian forces. Credible accounts indicated arbitrary arrests and detentions in these areas, with both Russian and de facto officials accused of abuses committed with impunity.

Overall, the State Department’s findings point to a deteriorating climate for human rights and democratic freedoms in Georgia, driven by restrictive legislation, systemic abuses and unresolved issues in the occupied territories.