• The Government of Georgia, led by the Georgian Dream party, has undertaken a series of authoritarian measures that gravely undermine the fundamental freedoms of its citizens;
• A new law has been passed criminalizing criticism or “insults” directed at government officials, both online and offline — with retroactive effect — thereby violating freedom of speech and setting a dangerous legal precedent;
• The government has simultaneously imposed harsher drug laws, criminalizing the possession of more than five grams of cannabis with penalties of up to six years in prison;
• The state has revived degrading practices such as randomly stopping individuals on the street and subjecting them to forced drug testing, while also banning the sale of cannabis seeds and cultivation equipment;
• These laws are being enforced selectively against activists and political opponents, with at least 320 people detained and 270 testing positive for cannabis consumption;
• Among those targeted are supporters of various opposition parties, though not all share a libertarian philosophy;
• Our member party in Georgia, Girchi, has publicly denounced these abuses and is organizing a national protest under the slogan “Don’t Arrest”, with the support of well-known musicians, rappers, and actors; • Throughout history, prohibitionist drug policies have often served as tools of authoritarian control and state repression;
Therefore, the International Alliance of Libertarian Parties (IALP), convened in accordance with its Charter, resolves:
1. To express full support for Girchi in its defense of civil liberties and peaceful opposition to authoritarianism in Georgia;
2. To strongly condemn the retroactive criminalization of speech and the political use of drug laws to target dissent;
3. To urge the international community, including democratic institutions and human rights organizations, to denounce the Georgian government’s authoritarian turn;
4. To declare solidarity with all citizens unjustly detained or subjected to degrading treatment for exercising their individual freedoms; 5. To publicly support the “Don’t Arrest” protest and any other peaceful action undertaken in defense of liberty and individual rights in Georgia.