Georgia: New Briefing Note Reveals Systematic Extra-Custodial Torture and Suppression of Political Dissent Following Suspension of EU Accession Process
In late November 2024, a few months after mass protests against the so-called "Foreign Agent Law”, a new wave of demonstrations erupted in Georgia in response to the ruling party’s decision to suspend the country’s EU accession process. These peaceful protests were met with unprecedented police violence, arbitrary arrests, and politically motivated criminal and administrative prosecutions. A newly released briefing note exposes the coordinated efforts by all branches of the Georgian state — including the Ministry of the Interior, prosecutorial and investigative bodies, Parliament, and the judiciary — to suppress dissent.
The briefing note identifies alarming patterns of torture, ill-treatment, and widespread human rights violations linked to the November–December protests. The report documents violent tactics used by police to suppress peaceful assemblies and legislative changes aimed at curbing freedom of expression, media freedom, and political dissent. It also highlights the serious barriers survivors face in accessing justice, medical care, and psychological rehabilitation.
In response to the ongoing crisis in Georgia, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in collaboration with the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) — both members of the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC) — alongside the Independent Forensic Expert Group (IFEG), conducted a fact-finding mission to Tbilisi from December 17 to 24, 2024. The mission was carried out with the support of the Omega Research Foundation and leading Georgian human rights organizations, including the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), the Georgian Centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT), the Human Rights Center (HRC),
The findings, detailed in a newly released briefing note, are based on first-hand evidence gathered by OMCT during the mission, including 26 in-depth interviews with victims — among them injured journalists — as well as local lawyers and civil society experts.
👉 Read the full briefing note here.
