Equality and Human Rights

Prosecutors in Georgia have launched a criminal investigation into five civil society organizations, accusing them of “sabotage” and ordering the freezing of their bank accounts in relation to their role in anti-government demonstrations. In a statement on Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office said the groups had funneled more than two million lari (650,000 euro) to finance “illegal activities,” including paying protesters’ fines and purchasing equipment. Authorities claim the groups bear responsibility for violence and destruction linked to recent demonstrations.

A court in Georgia has handed a further prison sentence to the jailed former president, Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili was sentenced on Monday to four-and-a-half years behind bars for illegally crossing the border when returning to the country from exile in 2021, his lawyer said. He is already serving concurrent terms for embezzlement and abuse of power while in office, bringing his total sentence to more than 12 years.

A court in Georgia on Wednesday convicted imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili on embezzlement charges and handed him another prison term of nine years. Saakashvili, who served as Georgia’s president in 2004-13, is already serving a six-year prison term for abuse of power. He was convicted in absentia in 2018, and arrested in 2021 upon his return to Georgia.

Prominent Azerbaijani opposition politician Tofig Yagublu has been sentenced to nine years in prison by the Baku Serious Crimes Court on charges of “fraud resulting in substantial harm”. A member of the National Council of Democrat Forces and Musavat Party, he was arrested in December 2023 and was also charged with using forged documents. During the trial, Yagublu insisted his arrest was politically motivated. His co-defendant, Elnur Mamedov, who provided incriminating testimony, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The European Union is prepared to take further action against the Georgian government, including sanctions, to hold those responsible for violence against protesters accountable, according to a statement by the EU press service on Wednesday. In the statement, the EU said it has taken into account the decision by the Baltic states to impose sanctions against Georgian Dream on the basis that the ruling party's actions are aimed at violating fundamental rights and freedoms and further reducing the space for civil society to operate.

The Azerbaijani government has ordered the suspension of BBC News Azerbaijani operation in Baku whle the influential news agency Turan has been forced to drastically scale down its operations in the country. The BBC said in a statement that it had made the "reluctant decision" to close its office in the country after receiving a verbal instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mehman Aliyev, a prominent journalist and Director of Turan, announced they would be shutting down their offices due to financial problems. Turan was the last independent media outlet that still had offices inside Azerbaijan. Numerous independent journalists have been detained in Azerbaijan while Reporters Without Borders gave the country a highly negative classification on press freedom.  

The  Georgian government has driven the country toward a human rights crisis in 2024, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2025. The report published Thursday stated that the Georgian government has adopted new repressive laws, unleashed brutal police violence against mostly peaceful protesters, and pivoted away from the European Union accession process and the human rights reforms this would have required.

Peace Dialogue, an NGO based in Armenia, has published its Annual Review for 2023-2024, highlighting its efforts, achievements, and continued dedication to promoting human rights, peace, democracy, and fostering dialogue in conflict-affected societies. The NGO’s commitment to peace, inclusion and a multi-stakeholder approach stood out in the numerous projects they have implemented during the past two years ranging from advancing the rights of prisoners of war to developing inclusive oversight of security to fostering human rights and a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.