Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration, addressed the OSCE Committee on Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Questions.

He claimed that in 2024, coordinated disinformation campaigns by opposition groups and foreign actors sought to discredit elections and destabilize political processes. Makhashvili highlighted Georgia’s use of smartmatic electronic voting machines, which he said reduced errors and strengthened public trust. However, he warned that technology could be misused and stressed the need for accountability and transparency in media and electoral processes.

Georgia, he added, would work on better regulation and enforcement in these areas and welcomed OSCE cooperation.

Responding to Committee Rapporteur Carina Ödebrink’s claim of increased political repression, Makhashvili stated that 29 individuals were arrested for attacking police and state institutions with Molotov cocktails, with video evidence available for review.