In its note verbale to the OSCE Secretariat, the Foreign Ministry states that, beyond the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) program, Minister Elina Valtonen joined a street protest organised by a small group of anti-government activists who had been freely, though illegally, blocking the main avenue of Tbilisi on October 14. Public statements made by Minister Valtonen, which do not reflect the reality, constitute a deliberate attempt to mislead the international community regarding the situation in Georgia.“The Embassy of Georgia to the Republic of Austria, Permanent Representation of Georgia to the OSCE and other International Organisations in Vienna presents its compliments to the OSCE Secretariat and Missions/Delegations of the Participating States to the OSCE and has the honour to express concerns of the Government of Georgia regarding the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, H.E. Elina Valtonen, to Georgia in her capacity as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO).Beyond the CiO program, which included the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, H.E. Maka Botchorishvili, a visit to the occupation line, and a meeting with a few representatives of civil society, Minister Elina Valtonen joined a street protest organized by a small group of anti-government activists who had been freely, though illegally, blocking the main avenue of Tbilisi on October 14. Public statements made by Minister Valtonen, which do not reflect the reality, constitute a deliberate attempt to mislead the international community regarding the situation in Georgia.These actions contradict the spirit of cooperation under the OSCE and could be considered a clear abuse of the CiO mandate, undermining credibility and the expected neutrality.They are incompatible with universally recognised principles of international law, including respect for sovereignty and non-intervention in internal affairs, as reflected in the Helsinki Final Act, UN Resolution AJRES/20/2131, Rules and Procedure of the OSCE, and the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” reads the note verbale of Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.On October 14 and 15, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Elina Valtonen, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, visited Georgia. On October 14, after meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Georgian Dream government, Maka Bochorishvili, she joined the ongoing protest in front of the parliament, which has been taking place since November 28 of last year.On October 14, she met with representatives of civil society in Tbilisi, and on October 15, she was at the occupation line.On October 15, Kobakhidze’s press service issued a statement that due to the presence of the Finnish Foreign Minister on Rustaveli Avenue, the Prime Minister of the Georgian Dream government canceled the planned meeting with him.According to the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the Finnish Foreign Minister himself canceled the meeting with Irakli Kobakhidze and informed the host country about it on Tuesday, October 14th night.In a telephone comment to Helsingin Sanomat, Elina Valtonen explained that her “meeting with Prime Minister Kobakhidze was canceled not at the initiative of Georgia, but at the initiative of Finland, due to a change in the schedule, and the Georgians were informed about it the night before.”Today, October 16th, it became known that the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs fined the Finnish Foreign Minister 5,000 GEL for his presence at the October 14th rally - he is accused of “artificially blocking the road”.

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According to the statement, at the request of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission, at its latest plenary session, adopted its Opinion on the Law of Georgia on registration of foreign agents (GEOFARA), the amendments to the Law on grants and other Laws relating to “foreign influence”.The statement reads that the Venice Commission has analysed these legislative acts through a systemic approach, in order to take into account the combined effect of simultaneously applicable laws on the same entities and individuals. In that context, the Commission recalled its earlier recommendation that where existing provisions of domestic legislation have proved to be insufficient to achieve a legitimate aim, the authorities should seek to amend and improve them, rather than adopting new laws.The Commission observed that the lack of clarity and precision of GEOFARA undermines the principle of legal certainty. The obligations imposed by the law contain open-ended formulations and are disproportionate. According to the Commission, the Anti-Corruption Bureau in charge of enforcement of the law is entrusted with excessively wide discretion, and it lacks sufficient guarantees of independence. Regarding criminal liability foreseen by the law, the broadly framed provisions describing the offence permit loose interpretation and lack the requisite justification, while criminal sanctions fail to meet the standard of proportionality.As regards the amendments to the Law on grants, the Commission observed that they introduced a general requirement of prior governmental approval for foreign grants, which lacked a demonstrated justification in terms of necessity and proportionality. The Commission noted, in particular, that the amendments provided no clear and objective criteria for refusal of grant applications and they lacked adequate safeguards.The Commission noted with concern that instead of considering less intrusive alternatives, the amendments to the Law on broadcasting introduced a blanket ban on foreign funding for broadcasters without distinguishing between funding that genuinely threatens democratic integrity and funding that supports legitimate journalistic and civic activities, which fails the standards of necessity and proportionality.In the Commission’s view, this new legislative framework risks undermining the rule of law, civic space, and democratic freedoms. The Commission therefore recommended repealing these legislative acts and improving the already existing framework instead. It further called for future law-making in this field to follow a systemic and inclusive approach, ensuring its legitimacy and broad acceptability.The Venice Commission reconfirmed that it remains open to dialogue with the authorities to address these shortcomings.

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According to the Georgian government, the cancellation was due to Valtonen’s participation in an unauthorized rally and her allegedly false statements.Elina Valtonen attended an ongoing protest in front of the Parliament on October 14. Commenting on the demonstration, she wrote on X:"Peaceful protestors have gathered in front of the Parliament Building in Tbilisi, Georgia, to voice their concern over the repressive direction of their country. They have every right to democracy, to freedom of expression and basic human rights. We are here to support them."

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According to the press release, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will have meetings with high-level government officials.The agenda includes, among other items, the progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, with particular attention to the conclusion of the OSCE Minsk Process and its related structures.In Georgia, the meetings will centre on the country’s internal and external challenges, with a particular emphasis on the ongoing support of the OSCE for the Geneva International Discussions to address the aftermath of the 2008 war.“Finland, as Chair of the OSCE in 2025, places strong importance on safeguarding civic space and ensuring an enabling environment for civil society. This priority will be underlined throughout the visit,” the OSCE statement reads.

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“We saw great hysteria from the defenders of the National Movement, but October 4 gave us a sea of evidence. We reviewed the failed coup attempt not only from the perspective of restoring law and order, but also in detail with our lawyers. Evidence has been added that the National Movement is an extremist force undermining Georgian democracy and the state,” Papuashvili said.He also criticized international actors, claiming that foreign silence is a result of their indirect involvement in the events of October 4. “Foreigners realized they had created additional evidence against the National Movement and were involved as accomplices, which is why they remain silent,” Papuashvili added. He further urged opposition figures to reflect on their actions and consider whether they may have committed criminal offenses during the unrest.The move follows earlier statements by Georgian Dream prior to the 2024 parliamentary elections, when party leaders promised that the UNM and its satellite parties would be declared unconstitutional if the ruling party gained a constitutional majority. In March 2025, Mamuka Mdinaradze submitted a draft law to parliament seeking to ban the successors of the UNM from participating in elections.

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“We are increasingly concerned by the deteriorating political situation in Georgia and the troubling actions taken by the Georgian government following recent local elections. Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s decision to outlaw opposition parties and jail their leaders is egregious, undemocratic and yet another indication that Georgian Dream is wholly uninterested in pursuing a path toward normalized political dialogue. Politically-motivated investigations and intimidation of civil society leaders, particularly those who have worked with the United States government and testified before our committee, are an attempt to silence dissent in a country with a proud history of speaking truth to power.“It is also unacceptable that the Georgian government has targeted former U.S. government employees by making baseless allegations that they are undermining Georgia’s government. Let us be clear: it is Georgian Dream, not the United States, that is undermining Georgia’s democracy and their ability to determine their future. We welcome the Department of State’s decision to summon the Georgian Ambassador to address these disturbing developments and we urge the Trump Administration to consider recent actions by the Georgian government before pursuing any change to the bilateral relationship. We extend our unwavering, bipartisan support to the Georgian people who simply wish to claim their right to self-determination,” the statment reads.

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According to the statement, the elections “were held in a restricted environment, in the context of months of repression against civil society, independent media, and the political opposition by self-appointed officials of the Georgian Dream party.”“Georgia's local elections of 4 October 2025 took place in a restrictive environment, in the context of a months-long crackdown on civil society, independent media and political opposition by the self-appointed Georgian Dream authorities. We deplore the fact that the authorities effectively prevented the presence of credible election observers, with a late invitation to the OSCE/ODIHR and restrictions on civil society hampering observation by domestic organisations.We are concerned by the violent clashes in the streets following the elections and call for calm from all. We urge the Georgian Dream to stop its assault on democracy and respect the fundamental rights of freedom of assembly and expression, stop the arrests of protesters and release those arbitrarily detained. We also deplore the increasingly aggressive campaign against the EU, including personal attacks on the EU and Member State ambassadors, European politicians and individual Member States.We strongly denounce the Georgian Dream's declared intention to ban opposition parties, which would mark a new culmination of Georgia's slide towards an authoritarian regime. We reiterate our call on the EU and its Member States to take immediate action and to introduce personal sanctions against key Georgian Dream political leaders and officials responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists, in particular Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Kobakhidze”, - the statement reads.In response to recent developments in Georgia, several senior Members of the European Parliament have issued a joint statement expressing their position on the situation.The statement was authored and signed by: David McAllister, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) Mounir Satouri, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights Sergey Lagodinsky, Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Nils Ušakovs, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus Rasa Juknevičienė, AFET Standing Rapporteur on Georgia

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According to the statement, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expresses concern over the violent protests following Georgia’s recent local elections.“Peaceful protesters in Georgia continue to be detained, sentenced, and fined for exercising their rights. The authorities have an obligation to implement their OSCE human rights commitments and international obligations, including respect for the right to peaceful assembly”, said Maria Telalian, ODIHR Director. “I would like to urge once again the Georgian authorities to ensure that civil society and human rights defenders are not targeted and that their voices are heard, as their work is crucial in fostering a vibrant democratic society.”“Recent legislation restricting the work of civil society organizations continue to hinder their rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and expression. As ODIHR noted last year in a legal review, the so-called ‘’foreign agents law’’ raises serious concerns, and it should be repealed.Georgia has committed to respect and protect the right to freedom of assembly in line with its international and OSCE human rights obligations. The detention, in recent months, of peaceful protesters, human rights defenders and opposition politicians, combined with the imposition of large fines for peaceful participation in assemblies goes against international human rights standards. As a general rule, law enforcement should avoid the use of force during public assemblies and facilitate them through dialogue and communication. In all circumstances, if force is used it must always be in accordance with the law, necessary, and proportionate to the needs of the situation.ODIHR also reiterates its regret that the invitation by the Georgian authorities to observe the local elections was issued less than a month before election day, leaving insufficient time for credible and meaningful observation in line with ODIHR’s established methodology. This has deprived the country’s citizens and institutions from an impartial, transparent, and comprehensive assessment.All OSCE states have recognized the importance of civil society to democracy and committed to ensuring the space necessary for meaningful and equal political participation. In line with its mandate, ODIHR stands ready to engage with Georgia and support the country in implementing its OSCE commitments with respect to the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” the statement reads.

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“A sad day for democracy in Georgia. OSCE/ODIHR unable to observe local elections, recommendations unaddressed. Regrettable use of violence. Repressive laws and jailing opposition leaders further undermine trust in Georgia’s elections,” the statement added. A sad day for democracy in Georgia. OSCE/ODIHR unable to observe local elections, recommendations unaddressed. Regrettable use of violence. Repressive laws and jailing opposition leaders further undermine trust in Georgia’s elections. pic.twitter.com/q2xf4ztG4j — Norway MFA (@NorwayMFA) October 5, 2025 The elections, held on October 4, 2025, saw the Georgian Dream party win all 64 municipalities, with some results reportedly reaching 100%.The vote took place amid ongoing protests in Tbilisi. Observers noted that international and domestic monitoring was largely absent, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in the process.Following the elections, all five members of a local organizing committee were arrested. Those detained include Paata Burchuladze, leader of the Rustaveli Avenue movement; Murtaz Zodelava, former UNM official; Irakli Nadiradze of the National Movement; Paata Manjgaladze of Strategy Builder; and Colonel Lasha Beridze.

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According to the statement, the elections were held “amid a period of extensive crackdown on dissent.”“This Saturday in Georgia was the day of local elections, amid a period of extensive crackdown on dissent.Months of raids on independent media, the passing of laws targeting civil society, the jailing of opponents and activists or amendments to the electoral code favouring the ruling party, drastically reduced the possibility of having competitive elections. A large part of the opposition boycotted these elections, and the turnout was relatively low.In addition, the refusal by the Georgian authorities to invite international monitors in due time, in particular OSCE/ODIHR, undermined the transparency of the electoral process and prevented credible international monitoring. Domestic organisations also refrained from observing due to the repressive environment.Large numbers of people constantly protested the repressive policies of the governing party, Georgian Dream. We call for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.We urge calm and restraint in the post-election period and call on the authorities to uphold citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression. A constructive and inclusive dialogue involving all political actors and civil society is essential, and we call on every side to refrain from violence.Finally, the European Union firmly rejects and condemns the disinformation regarding the EU’s role in Georgia and denounces the personal attacks against the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia,” reads the statement released by the EU Delegation in Georgia.

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