GEORGIA: Freedom of religion or belief, equality and secularity – Monthly report June
Previous monthly reports 2025 : December 26, 2024 – January 31/ February/ March/ April/ May/ June
Tolerance & Diversity Institute (23.07.2025) – During the month of June 2025, Georgian Dream (GD) and its propagandists continued to manipulate pseudo-religious narratives, portraying the ruling party and its satellites as the political force defending Christianity and traditions. According to their rhetoric, Europe has been emptied of Christian values, and the European Union poses a threat to the national identity, values, Orthodoxy, traditions, and sovereignty.
Direct attacks on the EU Delegation and the Ambassador to Georgia – According to the GD narratives, the EU Delegation and the Ambassador are allegedly executing the orders of the “Deep State” and interfering in Georgia’s internal politics.
Antisemitism – Anti-Western messages have increasingly assumed an aggressive antisemitic character. Notably, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgian Dream and its propaganda network have systematically promoted anti-Western narratives grounded in conspiracy theories. The rhetoric surrounding the so-called “Global War Party” and “Deep State” closely mirrors the Kremlin’s information warfare, portraying the West, the United States, and Ukraine as a unified hostile bloc conspiring against the Orthodox world. In the past two months, this narrative has escalated to include overtly antisemitic content: propagandists affiliated with the GD have openly associated Jewish origin with the alleged global domination of “oligarchic families,” the orchestration of international conflicts, and deliberate efforts to eradicate national identities. Through political channels and media platforms, they have disseminated conspiracy theories claiming that democratic countries, including EU and NATO member states, are secretly controlled by Jewish “oligarchic families” or the same “Deep State,” whose supposed objective is to “degenerate European countries, including Georgia, politically, ethnically, religiously, morally, and economically.”
Crackdown on Civil Society and Freedom of Expression – Against the backdrop of aggressive anti-Western propaganda, during the reporting period, GD enacted the “Foreign Agents Registration Act” (FARA) and began using punitive mechanisms acquired through authoritarian laws against non-governmental organizations. In parallel, GD leaders continued to demonize the civil sector, alleging that NGOs, through “external hidden” and “foreign opaque funding,” are fighting against sovereignty, the Orthodox Church, traditions, and values. Furthermore, the Georgian Dream Parliament passed, in an expedited manner, new anti-democratic and unconstitutional amendments to the Law of Georgia on Freedom of Speech and Expression, which significantly deteriorate the standard of protection of freedom of expression. The main purpose of these restrictions is to suppress critical voices and, as GD satellites assert, to protect the Church and the Patriarchate from the so-called “neoliberal agents.”
Dissenting voices among Orthodox clergy: A positive trend continued during the reporting period: some clergy of the Georgian Orthodox Church persistently voiced criticism of Georgian Dream’s anti-democratic, anti-European course and propagandistic rhetoric, and issued public statements and sermons in support of political prisoners.
Table of content
Main Trends
- Political Manipulation with Religion and Identity by Georgian Dream
1.2. Demonization of the European Union
1.2.1. Euroscepticism
1.2.2. Visa Liberalization
- Antisemitism by Georgian Dream and Its Propagandists
- Persecution of Non-Governmental Organizations and New Repressive Legislative Changes
3.1. Persecution of Non-Governmental Organizations
3.2. Restriction of Freedom of Speech and Expression
- Confrontation Between Orthodox Bishop and Senior “Georgian Dream” Official
The Case of Giorgi Jamdeliani
- Statements by Orthodox Clergy on Political Repressions and Intolerance
Statements on Political Repressions and Prisoners
Statements Regarding Political Prisoner Mate Devidze’s Sentence
Statements Regarding the Imprisonment of Mzia Amaghlobeli
Statements on the Judiciary
Photo:Demonstration in Tbilisi in December 2024 (Credit: HRWF, Willy Fautré)
