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The
Observatory has been informed about the judicial harassment of
administrative harassment of Mr Ucha
Nanuashvili,
former Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia, founder of the
Democracy Research Institute (DRI) and the Human Rights Center (HRC),
and Vice President of FIDH.
On
18 March 2026, Ucha Nanuashvili was questioned as a witness before a
magistrate judge at the Tbilisi City Court over his communication
with OSCE rapporteur Professor Patrycja Grzebyk, appointed to prepare
a report on the human rights situation in Georgia under the OSCE
Moscow Mechanism.
The hearing was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into
assisting “foreign organisations and organisations under foreign
control in hostile activities” under Article 319 of Georgia’s
Criminal Code, which foresees between five and 15 years of
imprisonment.
After
the interrogation, Mr. Nanuashvili was required to sign a
non-disclosure agreement, preventing him from revealing the content
of the interrogation. He further denounced the proceedings as
completely unfounded.
On
16 March 2026, Mr. Nanuashvili was contacted by an investigator from
Georgia’s State Security Service, who informed him of the summons
in relation to this communication. Mr. Nanuashvili was given the
choice to be questioned at the State Security Service premises on 17
March or by a magistrate judge on the following day.
This
interrogation follows the publication, on 12 March 2026, of a report
by the OSCE rapporteur highlighting
a “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia since spring 2024,
including concerns over restrictions on the rights to freedom of
expression and peaceful assembly, alleged ill-treatment of
protesters, restrictive legislation and politically motivated
detentions. Instead of addressing these serious allegations, the
Georgian authorities appear now to be targeting those who contributed
to documenting them. Previously, on 29 January 2026, 23 OSCE
participating States had invoked
the Moscow Mechanism “to assess Georgia’s implementation of its
OSCE commitments, with a particular focus on developments since
spring 2024.”
The
summons also comes amid a hostile narrative by Georgian officials,
including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who dismissed the OSCE
report as “pre-written”
and accused its author of political bias. Prior to the summons,
pro-government media outlets circulated
statements
referring to Mr Nanuashvili’s potential involvement in the OSCE
process, which may have contributed to the decision to summon him.
The
Observatory recalls that this development is part of an escalating
human rights crisis
and increasing pressure on civil society in Georgia, including the
judicial harassment of human rights defenders involved in documenting
violations, restrictions
on foreign funding,
and the shrinking
space
for independent organisations and journalists. As the OSCE report
underscores, these measures considerably undermine the legitimate
work of human rights defenders and endanger their safety.
The
Observatory expresses its deep concern that the summoning of Mr
Nanuashvili constitutes an act of intimidation aimed at sanctioning
his legitimate human rights activities and discouraging him from
continuing his work freely and safely.
The
Observatory calls on the Georgian authorities to end all acts of
harassment and intimidation against Ucha Nanuashvili, and to ensure
that no sanctions or criminal proceedings are initiated against any
human right defenders in Georgia for their cooperation with
international human rights mechanisms.
The
Observatory recalls that, as an OSCE participating State and a State
Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Georgia
must guarantee the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in
Article 19 of the ICCPR and Article 10 of the ECHR.
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