Freedom House: Georgian Gov't Deserved High Evaluation for COVID-19 Management

Freedom House, the US government-funded non-governmental organization, has published a new report about the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the global struggle for freedom. In the report 'Democracy in Lockdown', the organization provided the situation studied in 192 countries.

Based on the report, Georgia is among 111 countries where the situation with respect to democracy and human rights has not changed in the course of the pandemic.

The document highlights that the Georgian government deserved high evaluation from the population with respect to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In Georgia, which remains a Partly Free country, the government has been widely commended among the population for imposing strict, but transparent, measures to tackle the pandemic. Georgia has had one of the lowest death rates globally, resulting in a significant popularity boost for the ruling Georgian Dream party ahead of October elections. These cases are a reminder that any country can take steps to manage health risks while respecting human rights," reads the report. 

The document also touches upon the importance of the country's parliamentary elections scheduled for October 31.

"A case to watch is Georgia’s parliamentary elections, set for October, which survey respondents flagged as a possible positive example of international engagement in support of necessary electoral preparations," reads the report. 

By Ana Dumbadze

Full report available here