Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
The Committee is deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of democracy in Georgia which, on...
Conclusion
The Committee is deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of democracy in Georgia which, on its current trajectory, will lead to an entrenched autocracy firmly under Russia’s sphere of influence, like Belarus. We condemn the actions of the Georgian Dream Government in suspending EU accession talks, repressing opposition voices, limiting legitimate protest, and spreading disinformation. These actions imitate the Russian playbook and indicate coordination between Tbilisi and Moscow. We support the actions already taken by the UK Government in sanctioning Georgian officials responsible for enabling human rights violations in response to legitimate protests. (Conclusion, Paragraph 83)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government shares the Committee's concerns about threats to democracy and security, stating its commitment to go further and faster to counter hybrid threats, including FIMI, through existing departmental allocations and continued resource prioritization.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
Partially agree. The UK stands with the Georgian people’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, shares the Committee’s serious concerns about democratic backsliding in Georgia and strongly condemns efforts to undermine fundamental freedoms, including through disinformation and repression of legitimate protest. The UK has imposed sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for serious human rights violations, demonstrating that those who undermine democracy and repress peaceful dissent will be held to account. In February, the UK sanctioned two Georgian-based television channels, Imedi TV and POSTV, for their prominent and sustained role in disseminating Kremlin aligned disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, assessed as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and stability. This demonstrates our firm commitment to combating FIMI in Georgia and FIMI targeting the Georgian diaspora. The Government will continue to work closely with our international partners to support democratic resilience in Georgia, and to counter the FIMI threat, making use of the full range of tools at our disposal, including sanctions, in line with our values and relevant legal frameworks. However, we will not speculate on or comment on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. Nevertheless, all sanctions decisions are taken based on robust evidence and kept under regular review.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗