Georgia’s OSCE representative criticises report under Moscow Mechanism

Aleksandre Maisuradze, Georgia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other international organisations in Vienna, on Thursday criticised the OSCE fact-finding mission report prepared under the Moscow Mechanism.

Speaking in Vienna, Maisuradze said the report contains serious factual inaccuracies, selective interpretations and politically biased conclusions, which he argued undermine its credibility and objectivity.

According to the diplomat, the document also includes recommendations that go beyond the mandate of the Moscow Mechanism and calls on other states and international organisations to take action against Georgia.

“The selective presentation of information in the report and the timing of its publication indicate a tendency toward the politicisation of its conclusions. At the same time, the report ignores Georgia’s long-standing achievements in democratic reforms, political pluralism, judicial independence, and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the more than 85 per cent decrease over the past decade in the number of applications filed with the European Court of Human Rights, which reflects the effectiveness of domestic legal remedies and institutional reforms within the country,” he said.

Maisuradze said although Georgia remains committed to supporting the principles of the organisation in Europe and the obligations undertaken within its human dimension, the report contains “serious factual inaccuracies, selective interpretations and politically biased conclusions that call into question its credibility and objectivity”.

He added the report fails to reflect the complexity of Georgia’s political and legal context, does not take into account explanations provided by state authorities, selectively focuses on individual cases and portrays them as “politically motivated”, while disregarding legal safeguards, ongoing court proceedings and internationally recognised standards of a fair trial.

“We must not allow the OSCE to be damaged by such improper practices or used as a political instrument. For this reason, we believe that these issues should receive appropriate attention from the Permanent Council. Rejecting such a flawed and biased report is a necessary step to safeguard the credibility of international processes,” said Maisuradze.