Georgia’s Report Reviewed at UN Human Rights Council for 4th Cycle of Universal Periodic Review

2026-01-27 - 13:48

Georgia’s human rights record was examined on January 26 in Geneva by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, covering 2021-2025 within the fourth cycle of such review. The UPR is an international mechanism under which each UN member state undergoes a peer review of its human rights record approximately every four and a half years, submits regular reports on steps taken to improve the human rights situation, and receives recommendations from other states. The latest review comes amid Georgia’s continued anti-democratic turn and international concerns over the repressive environment in the country. The Georgian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Khatuna Totladze and included representatives of government agencies, Parliament, the Central Election Commission, the Prosecutor’s Office, the High Council of Justice, and Georgia’s common courts. According to the Foreign Ministry, during the previous UPR cycle in 2021, “Georgia supported 257 out of 285 recommendations.” Representatives of 106 Member States participated in the Council session and provided recommendations. The review report will be prepared by Angola, Estonia, and Pakistan, with the recommendations scheduled for adoption on January 30. All recommendations will be reflected in the final document, after which Georgia will have time to indicate which ones it accepts. Dozens of states raised concerns over the Foreign Agents law and the Georgian version of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), calling for their repeal. Among them were Australia, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Deputy FM’s Speech Presenting Georgia’s national report, Georgian Dream Deputy Foreign Minister Khatuna Totladze welcomed the UPR process, saying it provides states with an opportunity to present steps taken to protect and promote human rights. Despite “significant security challenges,” she said Georgia has “emerged as a regional leader in several areas,” strengthening the rule of law and establishing “high standards of human rights protection.” Totladze said Georgia’s average economic growth rate stood at “9.3% over the past five years,” which she described as the highest in Europe, attributing it to economic reforms and “the lowest level of corruption in the region.” She said the government aims to reduce poverty below 4% by 2028. She highlighted the National Human Rights Strategy for 2022–2030 and the Human Rights Action Plan for 2024–2026, describing those documents as a “unified framework for strengthening human rights and fundamental freedoms.” 02/11/2023 – Draft National Action Plan for Protection of Human Rights 2024-2026 Presented to CSOs According to Totladze, protecting vulnerable groups remains a key priority. She cited measures to combat violence against women, including free legal aid for victims of domestic violence and the availability of psychological and social support services. She also pointed to steps taken to protect children’s rights, including measures against sexual violence, and rehabilitation and integration programs for homeless children. Totladze said the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which entered into force in 2021, ensures the protection and independence of persons with disabilities, noting that Parliament ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities the same year. She further cited the 2023 adoption of the State Concept for the Economic Empowerment of Women, calling it the first such document in the region that “represents a unified vision of the state” for creating better working conditions. In healthcare and social protection, Totladze said funding for social rehabilitation and childcare programs is increasing annually. She also highlighted the introduction of the diagnosis-related group reimbursement system in November 2022, which she said reduced payments for medical services. Addressing civil equality and integration, she said the government continues efforts to provide equal access to education, including for ethnic minorities, and claimed that ethnic minorities’ “full and equal participation” was ensured in the 2020 and 2024 elections. Totladze also cited European Court of Human Rights statistics, saying complaints from Georgia have “significantly decreased” over the past 15 years, which she described as reflecting “confidence and trust of the society in public and political institutions of Georgia.” Explainer | Why Has the Number of Strasbourg Cases Against Georgia Decreased Since 2012? On “penitentiary reform,” she said international monitoring bodies have positively assessed legal and institutional improvements, new infrastructure, rehabilitation programs, and medical services, adding that since 2012 the ECtHR has not found admissible “a single application from Georgian prison regarding prisoners’ rights.” Totladze stressed that due to Russia’s illegal occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region and its “military aggression,” Georgia is “deprived of the possibility to implement” human rights measures in these territories. She said the human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied territories is deteriorating, citing violations including “rights to life and education in native language, torture and ill treatment, arbitrary detentions, and discrimination on ethnic grounds.” She said ECtHR and International Criminal Court (ICC) decisions confirm Russia as the occupying power bearing full responsibility. Totladze said the Georgian authorities “spare no efforts to continue to implement programs,” and to “improve socio-economic conditions for IDPs,” including addressing long-term housing needs. Recommendations of Other States Speaking first, Luxembourg expressed concern over the “harshening of restrictions on human rights,” recommending that Georgia “remove barriers” to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, protection of journalists and civil society, and stronger action against discrimination and hate speech. Poland called on Georgia to repeal the Foreign Agents Law and FARA, warning they ”undermine the freedom of expression, assembly, and association.” It also urged independent investigations into alleged police violence during protests and the release of “arbitrarily detained” journalists, opposition politicians, and activists. Russia expressed a “positive view” of Georgia’s human rights strategy, recommending to continue its work to improve the judiciary, reform the police, and combat corruption. Its representative maintained that to protect the rights of vulnerable groups of the population, including women, people with disabilities, and older persons, “we continue to work at the legislative level to protect the rights of these groups.” He also recommended that additional efforts are necessary to improve the situation in the penitentiary systems, and to “combat overcrowding in prisons.” Sweden expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation, particularly affecting civil society, media, and LGBTQ+ persons, and called for repealing restrictive legislation and ensuring judicial independence. Ukraine voiced “serious concern” over human rights violations in the Russian-occupied territories, while warning that recent legislative changes in Georgia risk restricting civic space. It called for repealing the Foreign Agents law and FARA and releasing all “political prisoners.” The UK’s representative said the country “remains concerned” about “excessive use of force” against protesters, politically motivated arrests, intimidation of journalists, and legislation undermining civil society. He urged independent investigations and accountability, as well as the “release of those unjustly detained.” Germany shared its concern about the “rapidly deteriorating” human rights situation in Georgia and recommended to investigate reports about the excessive use of force against demonstrators, including acts of torture and ill treatment by police, and ensure access by victims to justice. It has also called on Georgia to “remove obstacles” from CSO activities, by repealing or amending the Foreign Agents law, FARA, and the Law on Grants, and reviewing the amendments to the administrative and criminal offense codes. It also recommended Georgia to “repeal or substantially revise” the amendments to the Law on Broadcasting. In contrast, China welcomed Georgia’s human rights efforts and recommended continued work on gender equality and cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms. It made two recommendations: to continue advancing gender equality and “further strengthen dialogue and cooperation with UN Human Rights Institutions and mechanisms.” Georgian Delegation’s Response Responding to criticism, Khatuna Totladze said EU membership remains the country’s “key foreign policy goal,” and rejected claims that the government suspended the EU accession process, saying accession talks have not yet been opened. Niko Tatulashvili, Head of the Human Rights Department at the GD government administration, said “385 organizations” have registered under the Foreign Agents law and continue operating “without interference.” On the highly criticized amendments to the Law on Grants that mandates government approval for disbursing grants, he said the State Grant Management Agency funded 17 CSO projects in 2025, each receiving “around USD 40,000.” Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze responded to the criticism over police violence, claiming that the protests that broke out in Georgia in November 2024 had a “violent character,” and dismissed claims that the protesters were detained unlawfully as “unfounded allegations.” UN Special Rapporteur’s Assessment In a separate statement published parallel to the UPR session, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor recalled her official visit to Georgia in October-November 2023, during which she documented “a serious decline” in human rights, citing “governmental repression of civil society, critical journalists & independent human rights defenders.” “My mandate led or joined 8 communications to [Georgian mission in Geneva] since its last UPR review in 2021, none of which received a response,” Lawlor wrote. 07/11/2023 – UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Praises “Strong” Civil Society in Georgia, Criticizes Government She said protests following Kobakhidze’s November 2024 announcement on halting EU accession efforts were met with “alleged widespread human rights violations, excessive use of force and reports of torture in detention.” Lawlor called on Georgia to repeal the Foreign Agents law, amendments to the Law on Grants, changes to legislation governing assemblies and administrative offenses, the Law on Family Values and Protection of Minors, and to review the functioning of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. She also called on the authorities to guarantee peaceful assembly rights and end smear campaigns against civil society actors. She also said that Georgia should “work towards the implementation of the recommendations included in my country visit report,” and “fully guarantee the right to peaceful assembly & refrain from the use of excessive use of force against protesters.” According to Lawlor, Georgia should “cease the smear campaign against human rights organizations, human rights defenders & lawyers, including by high-level politicians & government-controlled media outlets.” Also Read: 27/01/2021 – Georgia Presents Universal Periodic Review Report to UN Human Rights Council