Your Activism Matters: Voices of Freedom from Georgia

Τελευταία ενημέρωση Δευτέρα, 04/05/2026

What are the important things young Europeans are ready to defend? Rusudan, a young Georgian woman, reflects on her civic activism, starting in Tbilisi, continuing in Estonia, the destination country of her European Solidarity Corps project.

© Rusudan Janjalashvili, 2026

Me at the “No to Russian Law” Protests in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 2024.

Fear Not, My Dear Georgia!

December, 2024 had just started. I remember the sunlight had already disappeared, though the clock had not even hit 6 PM yet. With a banner that I was clutching in my freezing hand, I was running through the snowy streets of Tallinn to arrive at the Georgian embassy in Estonia for the pro-EU protest. This banner carried my voice, which I had lost due to anxiety and sickness.

I had just left the office, where I was working under my Solidarity Corps volunteering project. Instead of spending cosy time with my international friends, I had to be out in the frosty streets to let my Georgian voice be heard by the world – because the democratic, European future of my country is under threat.

In the Name of Freedom: Continuous Protests

In the Name of Freedom: Continuous Protests

A few days prior to my joining the Georgian diaspora in Estonia to speak up on the issue, on 28 November 2024, the leading party of the country, “Georgian Dream” (GD), preceded by parliamentary elections believed by many to be rigged, announced a halt of Georgia’s integration negotiations with the EU until 2028. As a lawyer myself, I saw it as a clear message to the West as well as to Georgian society that our nation’s choice, and the constitution itself, were being not only overlooked but also violated. Firstly, due to the fact that a large Georgian majority supports EU integration, according to the latest poll results in 2023 and 2025. Also, the Georgian constitution (Article 78) clearly states our stance regarding integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures: “The constitutional bodies shall take all measures within the scope of their competences to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”

Therefore, what started on the same day as GD’s statement was what made me a proud Georgian - a clear demonstration of dedication and bravery: continuous protests across the country. It resulted in injured citizens due to police brutality, as well as arrested journalists, and dozens of political prisoners, with their families also being targeted. Evidence, including suppressing CSOs, indicates that democratic backsliding has also reinforced gender inequality. Yet what I consider to be a must-share regarding protests in Georgia is a BBC documentary from December 2025, investigating claims that the police used chemicals mixed in water cannons.

As a supportive response from the EU, to this day, the European Parliament declares its standing with the people of Georgia. As of March 2026, the European Commission suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports. And, just a few days later, I spent my evening reading the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism report on developments in Georgia concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms since spring 2024. It calls for repealing a number of repressive laws by the Georgian authorities; refraining from repressions related to the performance of journalists’ duties, and issuing relevant recommendations. I believe these results would not be achieved without Georgian society’s resistance: on March 15, it has been 472 days of continuous protests.

© Rusudan Janjalashvili, 2026

I took this photo during the Tbilisi march, 20.07.2025. Georgian text reads: “Fresh Elections!”
 

Your Voice Matters!

The reason for the youth activism in Georgia is immense and deeply personal – protestors are detained due to standing on a sidewalk. Our education is also threatened due to GD's recent “reforms”, such as cutting programs and funds. As a Georgian Solidarity Corps volunteer in an EU-member country, I was approved to enter Estonia without a visa and work for the Estonian NGO, obtaining a visa within three months of my arrival. Yet this opportunity might not exist anymore as the EU has been considering a full suspension of visa liberalisation for Georgia, due to the ruling party’s anti-European and authoritarian actions, which prompts the Russian influence in the country to deeply strengthen.

Consequently, this possibility endangers the opportunities of all young Georgians to gain education in EU countries, access healthcare, especially in emergencies, and work in the EU without the necessity of a visa for 90 days.

Therefore, I consider youth activism especially important for the better future of Georgia. I have been participating in protests since 2023, trying to keep myself always updated with the societal and political issues of the country, as well as global politics. I strongly believe that raising awareness about the different needs and crises of different groups is the key to any possible change.

For instance, to follow my above-mentioned aims, I also wrote an article with my colleague about environmental issues in Georgia on the EUSTORY Youth Platform “History Campus Blog”. There, we discuss the issues believed to be overlooked by the “Georgian Dream” party, thus resulting in heavy casualties in Shovi, Georgia, in the summer of 2023. That event claimed the lives of my coursemate, her brother, their friend, and many others.

The Lights Must Stay On!

Inspired by this campaign title for declining press freedom in Georgia, I have found myself shifting from law to journalism, and quite symbolically, becoming a member of the Pool of Young Journalists in Europe 2026.

What is the most important thing young Europeans are ready to stand up for? Well, young Europeans of Georgia, adamant to protect the western future of our country, would answer:

My voice! My education, history, freedom and independence!
 

One of the most memorable banners for me from Georgian protests, the voice of the youth, Spring 2024.

© Rusudan Janjalashvili, 2026

Young Journalists in Europe - Meet the author

Rusudan Janjalashvili

“I am a Georgian law graduate based in Tbilisi. Having studied in Estonia, Latvia and Turkey, I am passionate about travelling, history and literature. I express myself through writing, art and music. I write about democracy, Georgian identity, Europe’s cultural diversity, and more - as we say in Georgia, the media is the light that must stay on.”

Article Collaborators: Oļesja Garjutkina, Fani Apospori

This article reflects the views of the authors only. The European Commission and Eurodesk cannot be held responsible for it.