Europa Nostra issues Statement of Solidarity with Civil Society and Cultural Heritage Actors who defend European Values in Georgia

Europa Nostra Statement (PDF)

Following the recent discussions at the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025 held in Brussels from 12-15 October, and referring to the statement adopted earlier this year by the three partner organisations who jointly promote a Cultural Deal for Europe, Europa Nostra expresses unwavering solidarity with the civil society in Georgia, and in particular with Georgia’s cultural workers, heritage professionals and volunteers, who are continuously and courageously standing up for democracy, human rights, including cultural rights, democracy, the rule of law and the freedom of expression.

 

Georgia is an official candidate country for membership of the European Union, having been granted candidate status in December 2023. The recent political and legal developments in Georgia – including the decision to suspend negotiations with the European Union and the adoption of controversial laws, such as the Law on Transparency on Foreign Influence and the Foreign Agents Registration Act – have had a profoundly damaging impact on the work and life of numerous heritage professionals, volunteers, and cultural actors across the country.

As highlighted during several sessions of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025, held under the motto “Heritage Matters for Europe,” and focusing on the pivotal theme of Europe’s shared values, culture and cultural heritage are vital to our society, contributing to sustainable development, social cohesion, and well-being of citizens.

During our Brussels Summit we clearly demonstrated that heritage protection mechanisms are deeply intertwined with human rights – especially cultural rights, the rule of law, and the principles of good governance. Today, these principles are being ruthlessly trampled in Georgia. Not only Georgia’s cultural heritage but also the lives and dignity of its citizens and communities are under threat.

The country’s growing isolation, despite the fact that an ever-growing number of Georgian citizens’ clearly demonstrated pro-European aspirations, risks reducing the vital European and international support and collaboration, so essential for protecting Georgia’s cultural heritage. Yet it is precisely the consistent backing of European and international partners that has made possible the safeguarding of numerous tangible and intangible heritage monuments in Georgia, such as the project Citizens’ Rehabilitation of the Tsiskarauli Tower, Akhieli, which received a 2024 European Heritage Award  / Europa Nostra Award as well as a Grand Prix in category Citizens’ Engagement & Awareness-raising.

We applaud and admire the fact that Georgia’s resilient civil society and vibrant cultural community refuse to give up their vision of a democratic and European future. Artists, cultural heritage professionals, musicians, writers and other cultural workers, together with civil society organisations, stand at the helm of an impressive peaceful civic resistance movement, which has now continued for almost a full year. They uphold and defend European values of democracy, the rule of law, and freedom of expression. As a result, they increasingly face political persecution, unlawful arrests, media censorship, and targeted violence.

We therefore urge the European Union, alongside the rest of the international community, to unequivocally condemn the steadily deteriorating legal framework in Georgia, the imprisonment of cultural workers, the silencing of journalists and civil society organisations, and the deliberate isolation of Georgia from the rest of Europe. These deplorable actions endanger both this country’s democracy and its unique cultural heritage which forms part of Europe’s shared heritage, tangible and intangible.

We call on the EU Institutions and EU Member States, and also on European and international human rights organisations to stand firmly with the people of Georgia in support of their struggle for democracy and their rightful European future.