PACE Co-Rapporteurs arrive in Georgia
PACE Co-Rapporteurs arrive in Georgia

Co-rapporteurs for Georgia from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), have arrived in Georgia to conduct a fact-finding mission from January 14 to 16, 2025.

As part of the ongoing monitoring process, the PACE co-rapporteurs are holding their first meeting with representatives from the non-governmental sector. Among those attending the meeting is Guram Rogava, a reporter for Formula TV, who was injured during the mass protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

During their visit, the co-rapporteurs will meet with the leadership of all major political parties, as well as relevant government officials and institutions.

“This visit is significant as we must inform our international partners about the current processes in the country. The first issue concerns the political landscape, including the elections and developments in the post-election period, as well as the judicial and political crises we are facing and potential solutions. Another critical issue is the amendments made by the Georgian Dream to the Election Code, which impact freedom of expression.

We will once again discuss the recent elections, assessing whether they were free and fair and whether they accurately reflected the choices of Georgian citizens. Our international partners have a few questions, especially after the OSCE/ODIHR’s final report. However, we are prepared to address any additional inquiries,” said Nino Dolidze, Executive Director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).