The international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch published a report that also discusses Georgia. The report states that “Georgia’s human rights record sharply deteriorated in 2025 as the ruling Georgian Dream party adopted sweeping laws aimed at decimating the country’s vibrant civil society and silencing critical media.”

According to the same report, authorities also excessively interfered with largely peaceful protests.

“The measures go against Georgia’s human rights commitments on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, as well as on equality and non-discrimination. New “foreign agents” legislation, adopted in March, requires organisations and individuals receiving foreign funding to register in the state registry and imposes onerous reporting obligations under threat of criminal prosecution. Other repressive amendments require governmental approval for all foreign grants and further curtail peaceful protests, independent media, and free speech. Authorities also approved the removal of the term “gender” and “gender equality” from all laws and abolished the parliament’s Gender Equality Council,” reads the report.

Human Rights Watch also wrote that the European Union and its member states denounced the backsliding as an “assault on fundamental rights,” recalling that Georgia’s accession process remains “de facto halted.”

The report also discusses the 2025 October municipal elections, which were held amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent and a partial opposition boycott.

“The October municipal elections were held amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent and a partial opposition boycott. On election day, tens of thousands of people rallied to protest the government’s repressive policies. The demonstration escalated into unrest when some protesters attempted to storm the presidential palace. Police arrested over 60 people on charges of inciting violent overthrow and attempting to change the constitutional order,” reads the report.

Human Rights Watch also discusses the conviction of opposition politicians. The report states that the courts convicted eight opposition politicians, including six opposition party leaders, sentencing them to months in jail for boycotting the ruling party’s parliamentary investigative commission tasked with probing alleged crimes by the former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s government.