Georgia has been in Freedom House’s 2026 report, losing a classification it had held since 2012. The country scored 68 out of 100, down from 70 in 2025 and 78 in 2022. In its report,, the US-based organisation attributed the decline to restrictions on online activism and expression critical of the ruling Georgian Dream party, as well as increasing punitive measures against journalists and social media users. The assessment covers the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.

“Georgia’s status changed from Free to Partly Free, as authorities continued to suppress online activism and speech perceived to be critical of the ruling Georgian Dream party,” Freedom House reported. It noted that internet penetration had improved during the period, but authorities had intensified restrictions on online and offline activism connected to protests following the government’s decision to suspend efforts to advance EU accession talks until 2028. Online journalists and social media users critical of the ruling party increasingly faced fines, raids, summonses and investigations, according to the report.

Freedom House identified two areas in which Georgia’s assessment deteriorated: restrictions on online mobilisation and penalties for online expression. The score for conditions affecting people’s ability to organise and campaign online fell from five to four, with the report citing increasing restrictions on protest activity and the use of facial recognition technology to track demonstrators. The score for penalties against internet users also fell from five to four because of an increasing number of fines, summonses, searches and other punitive measures against people who criticised the government. The country received 19 out of 25 points for obstacles to internet access, 25 out of 35 for limits on online content, and 24 out of 40 for violations of users’ rights. Freedom House’s assessment also draws on reporting by Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and other organisations documenting pressure on journalists and government critics.

Georgia’s score has declined for four consecutive years, falling by ten points since 2022. Despite losing its “Free” classification, it received the highest score among the five countries covered in Freedom House’s Eurasia grouping: Ukraine scored 64, Kyrgyzstan 45, Belarus 21 and Russia 16. Under the organisation’s methodology, scores of 70-100 qualify as “Free”, 40-69 as “Partly Free” and 0-39 as “Not Free”.