U.S. Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on Georgia After OSCE Report
By Messenger Staff
Friday, March 20, 2026
Leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission have called on U.S. officials to use sanctions and "other available tools" against the Georgian government following a critical international report.
The appeal follows a March 12 report under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, triggered by 24 participating states and authored by Patrycja Grzebyk. The report cited "marked democratic backsliding" in Georgia since 2024 and called for the release of political prisoners and repeal of restrictive laws.
In a March 18 statement, lawmakers including Roger Wicker, Joe Wilson, Sheldon Whitehouse, Steve Cohen, and Jeanne Shaheen said the findings show a serious decline in democratic standards.
"The OSCE Moscow Mechanism report is clear: Georgian Dream is robbing the Georgian people of their hard-won freedom and turning their country into an isolated, authoritarian state," they said.
They urged the United States and European partners to "use sanctions and other available tools" to push the authorities to act on the report's recommendations.
"We must demand that they release all political prisoners, drop politically motivated charges against opposition politicians, and repeal undemocratic and unjust laws," the statement said.
The lawmakers also pointed to "inhumane treatment" of protesters and political prisoners, as well as unjust prosecutions, abuse of opposition figures, and intimidation of journalists.
Officials from the Georgian Dream party, including Irakli Kobakhidze, have dismissed the report as biased and politically motivated.
