Rights Georgia, Local Watchdog, Halts Work Amid Civil Society Crackdown

Rights Georgia, a local human rights organization, has announced the suspension of its activities, citing “the current situation in Georgia” amid a broader crackdown on civil society organizations involving various restrictive legislation and inspections.

The group said the suspension will force it to withdraw from nearly 200 ongoing cases involving victims of violence and femicide in local and international courts, leave unaddressed about 500 cases before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), including cases related to those affected by the August war, cease participation in proceedings before the Constitutional Court, and discontinue providing daily free legal consultations and assistance to citizens “living in extreme hardship, who still hold hope of finding justice.”

“As a result of the so-called authorities’ great efforts, Rights Georgia faced the forced suspension of its activities for the first time in 29 years,” the organization said in a January 12 statement, adding, however, that its lawyers will continue to provide free legal consultations and, in exceptional cases, legal assistance and representation voluntarily.

Founded in 1997, Rights Georgia had been a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and promoting human rights, supporting legal education, monitoring state institutions, and advocating for the harmonization of Georgia’s legislation with international human rights standards. The group was formerly known as Article 42 of the Constitution.

The organization’s one of the main achievements was documenting alleged crimes during the 2008 war and representing about 400 victims before the International Criminal Court and the ECtHR.

The decision to suspend operations follows continued repressive and anti-democratic measures by the Georgian Dream authorities, including an escalating crackdown on independent media and civil society organizations. At least three separate laws have been introduced to restrict funding for NGOs and media outlets, while authorities have also invoked additional legislation and criminal investigations to target independent watchdogs.

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