Georgia

Previous reports: 2024 | 2023/24

Principal EBCO concerns

• Strict time limitations for raising conscientious objection claims, first-stage consideration by military conscription commissions and lack of clear safeguards against arbitrary denials.

• Punitive and discriminatory length of the alternative civilian service.

• No specific provisions for professional members of the armed forces.

• Juvenile military training involving the handling of firearms.

• Deportation of Russian antiwar activist Nikolai Belikov.

Developments

In 2025 started the full implementation of the new Defense Code², which closed the so-called Girchi loophole named after a libertarian party that supported creation of an Evangelical Church of Biblical Freedom allowing thousands of young men to become pastors and claim exemptions from conscription in 2017-2024. Under new legislation, very few of the Biblical Freedom priests were recognized as conscientious objectors and allowed to alternative service.

According to the Public Defender of Georgia, out of 81 clergymen called up for non-military, alternative labor service during 2025, there were 22 Jehovah’s Witnesses, 57 Evangelicals from the Church of Biblical Freedom, and 2 Muslims; no Orthodox clergymen were called up. In total, 561 conscientious objectors were directed to non-military alternative labor service in the year³.

The World Evangelical Alliance in 2025 reported “unequal religious landscape”: clergy of the Georgian Orthodox Church remained completely exempt from both military and alternative service, while clergy from all other religious denominations were required to perform 18-months alternative service⁴.

Another major development in 2025 was a change in rules related to draft notices, which are legally considered as delivered 7 days after the publication on the website of the army and supposed submission of the conscription call-up via SMS and email. Recipients of such notices need to appear before conscription commission within 10 days (that could be burdensome for those who are abroad) or face various penalties, including prohibition to travel abroad, restrictions on assets, driving and professional licenses, administrative fines or criminal liability in case of a “repeated offence”.

Since the normal term of conscription service is 6 months and of alternative service is supposed to be 11 months (currently some persons serve 18-months term), the latter is almost twice longer.

Connection e.V. reported on the implementation of the right to conscientious objection to military service with a particular focus on the punitive and discriminatory length of the alternative civilian service and the lack of provisions for professional members of the armed forces. The report addresses also the issue of juvenile military training involving the handling of firearms and it further examines the need to amend the Criminal Code by explicitly criminalizing the recruitment and use in hostilities of children below the age of 18 years by the armed forces and non—state armed groups⁵.

Conscription provisions and procedures

According to the Defence Code, compulsory service in the National Military Service for Conscripts is subject to a person aged 18 to 27 who is registered for military conscription and does not have grounds for exemption from or postponement of service in the National Military Service for Conscripts. The terms of National Military Service for Conscripts are: for service in a combat unit – 6 months; for service in a combat support or combat service support unit – 8 months; for a junior command position, staff position, or a position requiring a predetermined speciality – 11 months⁶.

Under Article 356 of the Criminal Code of Georgia ‘evasion of military service by a person subject to military service’ and ‘evasion of an alternative labor service by a person subject to military service’ are prohibited. These acts committed during a war or emergency shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of two to five years, and in peacetime by a fine or imprisonment for up to three years.

Conscientious objection provisions and procedures

According to the Law of Georgia on "Non-Military, Alternative Labour Service", the term of non-military, alternative labour service is 11 months. Statements of conscripts regarding refusal to fulfil military obligation through military service should be sent for consideration to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia which is responsible for the conscription of persons for non-military, alternative labour service, as well as the registration, conscription, and call-up of persons enrolled in the non-military, alternative labour service reserve. Non-military, alternative labour service is defined as a socially useful civilian service that replaces military service and is based on the substantiation of refusal to fulfil military obligation through military service on the grounds of freedom of belief, confession and conscience⁷.

Conscientious objectors are required to apply for alternative service to conscription commission within the 10 days after the legal “delivery” of draft notice⁸, so the late applications (e.g. when people did not receive the draft notice because of change of phone or email, or missed it in the spam folder) could be automatically dismissed contrary to international standards.

The applications are considered according to procedure approved by the Government⁹. The conscription commission submits the application to the State Commission for Conscription into Non-Military, Alternative Labor Service, consisting of officials of several ministries, that issues a conclusion on the basis of which a minister makes the final decision, which could be a subject to judicial review. In 2025, the monthly salary of the conscripts on alternative service was 200 GEL (approx. 60 Euro)¹⁰.

Among 1195 individuals applied for alternative service in 2024-2025, the documentation of 561 applicants was forwarded to the State Agency for Employment Promotion for consideration of their non-military, alternative labor service; 560 individuals were granted a deferment due to health conditions; and 74 individuals refused (changed their decision) to undergo non-military, alternative labor service¹¹.

Voluntary recruitment

The 2025 amendments to Defense Code increased salaries and housing benefits for contract-based (voluntary) soldiers and incentivised students using their right to deferral to volunteer in summer military training. The Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended Georgia to amend the Criminal Code by explicitly criminalizing the recruitment and use in hostilities of children below the age of 18 years by the armed forces and non-State armed groups.

Conscientious objection during and after military service

Contract servicemen, conscripts and reservists are not allowed to be discharged on the grounds of conscience.

Asylum for conscientious objectors

New immigration and protection laws that came into effect on 1 October 2025 established more strict rules for asylum seekers, tightening appeal deadlines. Foreigners shall not be deported to a country where they are persecuted, including for their political beliefs, as well as for reasons related to peacekeeping, ‘progressive social and political’ activities, scientific and creative work. The risk of life and health or potential torture are among the exceptions as well. In addition, the amendments will increase fines for foreigners who violate the rules of stay in the country, while the procedure for deporting foreigners residing illegally in Georgia will be simplified¹². Russian refugee Nikolai Belikov was arrested for antiwar expression during an opposition rally and received a deportation notice with a five-year ban from entering Georgia¹³.

Militarisation of the education system

The government in 2025 launched a “radical reform” of the higher education system reducing the university autonomy, which includes an increased emphasis on "patriotic education" and closer ties between the Ministry of Defense and universities to facilitate recruitment. Students are encouraged to volunteer to summer military training program that counts as a part of performing military duty.

1. Military expenditure figures are estimates published by SIPRI (The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) in April 2026.↩︎
2. https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/5916285↩︎
3. https://ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2026040108450417707.pdf (Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia – 2025, p. 214)↩︎
4. https://un.worldea.org/georgia-freedom-of-religion-or-belief-report-to-the-upr-51st-session/↩︎
5. https://en.connection-ev.org/article-4646↩︎
6. Response of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia to EBCO questionnaire.↩︎
7. Response of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia to EBCO questionnaire.↩︎
8. Article 7 of the Law of Georgia “On Non-Military, Alternative Labor Service”, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/28294↩︎
9. https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/6149087↩︎
10. https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/117838/GEO-117838%20(APPENDIX%204).pdf↩︎
11. https://ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2026040108450417707.pdf (Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia – 2025, p. 214-215).↩︎
12. https://commersant.ge/en/news/society/what-changes-will-come-into-effect-in-georgia-from-october-2025↩︎
13. https://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/71260↩︎