Appeal of Georgian Diaspora to European countries governments and leading international institutions

We, the members of the Georgian diaspora, come together to request swift and resolute action from the international community in the face of a growing human rights crisis in Georgia (Human Rights Watch Report 2025: Georgia).

We urgently call on you to take decisive action in support of the people of Georgia, whose fundamental rights and freedoms are being systematically eroded by an increasingly authoritarian and illegitimate government. The situation is critical—without immediate international intervention, Georgia’s democratic future will be lost, with consequences extending far beyond its borders to the stability and security of Europe as a whole.

For decades, the international community has ignored Georgia’s warnings, enabling Russia’s military expansion into Ukraine, the steady erosion of democracy in Georgia, and growing threats to democratic elections across the European Union. These are not isolated events but deliberate moves in Russia’s broader strategy to weaken Europe and rewrite the rule book.

We urge you to acknowledge the grave violations occurring in Georgia and recognize them as part of a calculated geopolitical offensive. Turning a blind eye now will come at an even greater cost to European security in the future. The time to act is now.

 

Authoritarianism and the enforcement of Russian interests are advancing at an alarming pace, with the situation deteriorating rapidly by the day:

 

1. Draconian Laws Targeting Peaceful Protesters

The illegitimate government has passed laws criminalizing peaceful protests, escalating administrative violations to criminal offenses without justification, and sentencing peaceful protesters to up to four years in prison.

Since the introduction of laws mirroring those in Russia in spring 2024, protests have remained peaceful, with no damage reported. In stark contrast, the ruling party has used excessive force against protesters, resulting in severe injuries, targeted attacks on journalists, undignified arrests, and intimidation of families, including children.

2. Government-Ordered Home Raids and Fabricated Evidence

Authorities are actively conducting unlawful home raids, planting false evidence to discredit protestors and suppress dissent. These tactics are meant to silence and intimidate the public.

Despite a surge in public arrests and degrading treatment—forcing women to strip and subjecting them to verbal and physical assault—the protests continue in the streets of Tbilisi and regions.

3. Widespread Public Intimidation

Every protester is facing threats to their lives, imprisonment, persecution, and increased financial penalties (up to GEL 5,000, where the minimal salary is below GEL 200).

Civil Servants who protested the suspension of the EU Accession Talks are systematically and widely dismissed as a result of the tailored amendment to the civil service law. Contracts have been terminated with less than 24 hours’ notice.

4. Denial of Fair Trials and Judicial Injustice

Arrested individuals are being deprived of their fundamental right to a fair trial. In many cases, individuals are called to court without proper notice, often being given no more than a few hours to prepare their defense.

5. Mzia Amaghlobeli’s Hunger Strike

Illegitimately arrested journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli has been on hunger strike for 31 days now.

“Today it is me, tomorrow it could be anyone who dares to dream of a just, democratic European Georgia, untouched by Russian influence, unshaken by oppression.”

—Mzia Amaghlobeli, Rustaveli Prison (BBC, February 2025)

With her health at risk, the leaders of the illegitimate government are ridiculing her suffering—“hunger strike usually ends with a death”—said Mamuka Mdinaradze.

It is a stark reminder of the lengths to which this regime is willing to go to silence dissenting voices.

6. Beating and Inhumane Treatment of Detainees

Many of those arrested have been subjected to brutal beatings, leaving them hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Reports highlight alarming cases of illegitimately detained individuals who, despite having undergone serious surgeries, are being denied medical treatment in prison, causing their conditions to deteriorate rapidly.

Once a beacon of democratic progress in the region, Georgia inspired the spread of democratic values. If democracy in Georgia falls, Europe risks losing its strategic and defense objectives outlined in the European Neighbourhood Policy.

While people in Georgia are defending democracy at the cost of their lives, while people in Ukraine are fighting for our common security, while there still is a window of opportunity, the time for decisive and swift action is now.

 

We call on you, the leaders of the free world, to take immediate and decisive action:

• Impose immediate sanctions on all responsible—government officials, law enforcement, and political figures enabling ongoing repression.
• Demand that all partner nations follow suit, implementing coordinated sanctions and financial pressure to force the current illegitimate government to halt its violent actions and call for repeat elections.
• Close financial loopholes: Ivanishvili’s regime is circumventing sanctions through third-party intermediaries and offshores. It is crucial to identify these connections and apply pressure to cut ties with this repressive regime.
• Provide unwavering support for the people of Georgia, who are courageously and relentlessly fighting for their right to a democratic future—and, in doing so, safeguarding our collective European security.

 

At great personal risk, they are demonstrating their commitment to building democracy at home. Urgent action is needed now to prevent Georgia from descending into a repressive regime like Russia and Iran.

Georgia was once the largest per capita non-member contributor to Euro-Atlantic security, and its strategic location remains vital to both Russian and European interests. Now is the time to prevent Russia from tightening its grip on the region.

This is our last opportunity to ensure that Georgia remains on the path to democracy and continues to strengthen European security.

The fates of Georgia and Ukraine are not theirs alone—they are inseparably tied to the future of Europe itself.

We urge you to stand with us in the fight for democracy.

Let us not allow our generation to lose one of history’s greatest lessons:

 

When human rights are violated anywhere, they are threatened everywhere.

Now is the time to act.

Thank you for your attention and your action.

 

Sincerely,

Representatives of the Georgian Diaspora