OSCE PA Vice President: I call on Georgian authorities to withdraw this lawsuit and to end politically motivated prosecutions
Gudrun Kugler, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, has called on the Georgian authorities to withdraw the lawsuit seeking to ban five opposition parties and return to a democratic path.
According to Kugler, political competition should be settled at the ballot box and through open democratic debate, rather than through court proceedings initiated by the governing majority.
“I am deeply concerned by the proceedings that just began before Georgia’s Constitutional Court, seeking to ban five opposition parties at the initiative of members of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Political competition must be decided at the ballot box and through open democratic debate, not by eliminating political rivals through legal proceedings initiated by the governing majority. Banning political parties is an exceptional measure that must meet the highest democratic and legal standards. These proceedings are particularly troubling amid serious concerns about judicial independence, including concerns raised by the European Parliament.
My solidarity is with the people of Georgia, who have repeatedly expressed their desire for a free, democratic and European future.
The freedom to establish and participate in political parties is a cornerstone of democracy and is protected by the OSCE’s democratic commitments. In my capacity as Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I call on the Georgian authorities to withdraw this lawsuit and to end politically motivated prosecutions. Georgia must not become a country where political opposition is treated as an enemy to be eliminated rather than an essential part of democratic life.
I also call for the release of opposition leaders and others who have been arbitrarily detained or imprisoned for political reasons, and for full respect for the right to a fair trial. Georgia must honour its commitments as a participating State of the OSCE and a member of the Council of Europe.
Georgia’s future lies in democracy, the rule of law and respect for political pluralism. I urge the Georgian authorities to return to that path and to respect the European aspirations of the Georgian people,” Kugler said.
OSCE PA Vice-President Gudrun Kugler on Georgia: “Stop the Attempt to Ban Opposition Parties and Return to the Path of Democracy”
I am deeply concerned by the proceedings that just began before Georgia’s Constitutional Court, seeking to ban five opposition parties at the initiative of members of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Political competition must be decided at the ballot box and through open democratic debate, not by eliminating political rivals through legal proceedings initiated by the governing majority. Banning political parties is an exceptional measure that must meet the highest democratic and legal standards. These proceedings are particularly troubling amid serious concerns about judicial independence, including concerns raised by the European Parliament.
My solidarity is with the people of Georgia, who have repeatedly expressed their desire for a free, democratic and European future.
The freedom to establish and participate in political parties is a cornerstone of democracy and is protected by the OSCE’s democratic commitments. In my capacity as Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I call on the Georgian authorities to withdraw this lawsuit and to end politically motivated prosecutions. Georgia must not become a country where political opposition is treated as an enemy to be eliminated rather than an essential part of democratic life.
I also call for the release of opposition leaders and others who have been arbitrarily detained or imprisoned for political reasons, and for full respect for the right to a fair trial. Georgia must honour its commitments as a participating State of the OSCE and a member of the Council of Europe.
Georgia’s future lies in democracy, the rule of law and respect for political pluralism. I urge the Georgian authorities to return to that path and to respect the European aspirations of the Georgian people.
— Gudrun Kugler (@GudrunKugler) October 21, 2026