Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.
According to the latest report from Freedom House, an international organization that assesses freedoms and human rights, Georgia's freedom score declined by four points, dropping to 51 out of a possible 100. The main reasons cited for this deterioration were the large-scale anti-government protests that began in 2024 and continued into 2025.
During these protests, demonstrators were subjected to disproportionate force by police, according to the report. Freedom House also documented harassment, physical attacks, and new legislative restrictions targeting opponents of the ruling Georgian Dream party. This, according to the authors, hinders the free political activity of the opposition and civil society.
Freedom House also documents instances of election violations. The report states that since 2018, cases of voter bribery and intimidation have increased in the country, and elections have been marred by the abuse of state resources and pressure on the electoral process.