EU Representative Raises Human Rights, Justice Concerns Over Georgia at UN

Michele Cervone d’Urso, the EU’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, raised concerns over Georgia, recalling its obligation to “uphold fundamental freedoms” and urging the “repeal or substantial revision” of legislation that undermines human rights and targets dissent. “The EU recalls Georgia’s obligation to uphold fundamental freedoms and urges the repeal or substantial revision of recent legislation that undermines international human rights standards,” Cervone d’Urso said while speaking at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The EU representative said the bloc is “deeply concerned” by what he described as the “politically motivated use of the justice system against civil society organisations” and the adoption of “repressive measures targeting opposition figures, human rights defenders, and independent media. ” He added that the EU “strongly condemns arbitrary arrests and increasing repression,” including “the imprisonment of opposition leaders, independent journalists, media workers, and civil society actors. ” Cervone d’Urso emphasized the need for Georgia to “address these issues, align its policies with international standards, and engage in constructive dialogue to restore trust in its democratic institutions. ” The relations between Georgia, which became an EU candidate country in 2023, and Brussels worsened amid the…