For many years, Georgians and the international community had high hopes that Georgia would be the democratic and rights–respecting foothold in a region of, at worst, authoritarian countries like Russia and Belarus or, at best, countries with shaky democratic systems and persistent human rights concerns.
Sadly, these hopes have faded in recent years, particularly since Russia’s full–scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as Georgian activists and experts warn that the country is headed towards authoritarianism. The many indications of Georgia’s slide include unfair election practices;1 violent dispersals of protestors;2 attacks on and interference in the work of journalists and independent media;3 obstruction of the work of anti–corruption activists;4 and a widening divide between Georgian society and its political leaders.5 A 2022 public opinion survey showed that over 40 percent of Georgians believe their democracy is regressing.6