Georgian Dream has been confronting the large-scale protests started on November 28, 2024, with an unprecedentedly large and disproportionate police forces. Along with illegal arrests, incited violence and use of excessive force by law enforcement officers, Georgian Dream is trying to suppress large-scale protests by adopting repressive legislation.

The repressive legislation was adopted in two stages, in a hastened manner. The amendments are comprehensive and include, among other things, changes to the Criminal Code, the Administrative Offences Code and the Election Code, as well as the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations, the Law on Police, the Law on State Protection and the Law on Public Service.

The laws adopted are repressive and punitive in nature. The amendments contradict the Constitution of Georgia, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. On March 3, the Venice Commission published a report critically assessing the adoption of legislation restricting freedom of assembly and expression. According to the report, the amendments contain vague provisions, which increase the risks of abuse of the right. In addition, the increased sanctions fail to meet the test of proportionality and necessity.

Repressive legislative amendments