the osce verdict

On 29 January 2026, the Moscow Mechanism of the human dimension of the OSCE was invoked for the first time with respect to Georgia by 23 OSCE participating States (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom). 

What is the Moscow Mechanism? Established at the 1991 Moscow Conference on the Human Dimension, the Mechanism represents one of the strongest tools for monitoring the implementation of participating States’ commitments in the fields of human rights and democracy. It enables the deployment of independent expert missions to examine and assist in addressing specific concerns. In this particular case, the support of 10 States was sufficient to activate the Moscow Mechanism. 

The Moscow Mechanism further complements and strengthens the Vienna Mechanism - another OSCE instrument that was also invoked in relation to Georgia in December 2024, given the growing concerns about the reported human rights violations. While these concerns were consistently raised and discussed at the OSCE Permanent Council, the failure by Georgian authorities to provide substantial feedback and the continued deterioration of the situation, led to the invocation of the Moscow Mechanism. 

This invocation marked the 17th use of the Mechanism since its establishment. Over the last 15 years, all cases have been exclusively directed at human rights concerns in Russia and Belarus, as well as situations arising in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. 

The specific concerns regarding Georgia cited by the 23 invoking participating States include: legislative reforms designed to suppress dissenting voices and restrict civil society and independent media; legal actions designed to ban opposition parties; politically motivated arrests and prosecutions; misuse of the judicial system; excessive violence and arbitrary detentions; and harassment of opposition politicians, human rights defenders and journalists.

The mandate on Georgia was formulated as follows: to establish a fact-finding mission to assess Georgia’s implementation of its OSCE commitments, with a particular focus on developments since spring 2024. More specifically, the mission was tasked, among others, with documenting recent developments in Georgia regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms, and assessing their impact on civil society, media freedom, the rule of law, judicial independence, political pluralism, and other components of a democratic society. 

In this context, the Rapporteur visited Georgia, conducted a series of meetings, reviewed written submissions and publicly available information and subsequently prepared a report, released on 12 March 2026.

The report provides an independent assessment of developments, details serious violations, patterns of violence and other abuses, and sets out a wide range of concrete recommendations to national, as well as to international stakeholders. The report’s central finding is clear and alarming: “in the period covered by the mandate, a marked democratic backsliding has taken place in Georgia.” Moreover, the report concludes that the human rights situation in Georgia, the implementation of shared human dimension commitments and international human rights obligations by the Government are a cause for serious concern and require active monitoring as well as possible follow-up actions by the international community and various international organizations, bodies, and mechanisms - all of which are important elements in preventing further deterioration and ensuring accountability. It is particularly alarming that, according to the Report, some of the violations could fall under the mandate of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Accordingly, the Rapporteur’s recommendations include exploring the possible use of international legal mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court. In the Rapporteur’s view, states may also consider the application of universal jurisdiction and referrals to international courts. The report includes recommendations to OSCE participating States to consider imposing targeted sanctions against those responsible for particularly serious violations. 

The very fact of invocation of the Moscow Mechanism represents a watershed moment: for the first time in the OSCE history, it has been invoked vis-à-vis an EU candidate country, placing Georgia, a country that for decades has aspired to EU membership, alongside authoritarian states. It is noteworthy that this invocation was supported by Georgia’s closest partners, which have been consistently supporting Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, development and prosperity, as well as its European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The findings of the report clearly attest that human rights and fundamental freedoms in Georgia are being seriously violated, and that the situation regarding human rights and the rule of law has reached a deeply alarming level. Although the recommendations contained in the report are not legally binding, they might serve as a basis for the follow-up actions and additional political and diplomatic pressure.

7/06/2026