Freedom House Keeps Abkhazia's 'Partly Free' Status for Another Year
Freedom House's 'Freedom in the World' report assesses political rights and civil liberties globally.
SUKHUM / AQW'A — Freedom House, the Washington-based nongovernmental organisation that monitors democracy, political freedom, and human rights across the globe, has published its annual Freedom in the World report for 2026.
Abkhazia has retained its "Partly Free" classification in Freedom House's annual Freedom in the World report for 2026, scoring 40 out of 100 — a marginal improvement on last year's score of 39. The country received 18 points for Political Rights and 22 for Civil Liberties.
Freedom House, the Washington-based non-governmental organisation that monitors democracy, political freedom, and human rights across the globe, publishes the report annually. Its methodology draws on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, assessing the practical exercise of freedoms rather than their mere legal existence, and accounting for the role of both state and non-state actors.
Regional comparison — Freedom in the World 2026
| Country | Status | Pol. Rights | Civil Libs | Score / 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⬤ Abkhazia | Partly Free | 18 | 22 | 40 |
| Armenia | Partly Free | 23 | 31 | 54 |
| Azerbaijan | Not Free | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Georgia | Partly Free | 19 | 32 | 51 |
| Russia | Not Free | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| South Ossetia | Not Free | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Türkiye | Not Free | 16 | 16 | 32 |
Source: Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2026. Scores out of 100; political rights out of 40, civil liberties out of 60.
Abkhazia's "Partly Free" designation has remained consistent for several years, placing it alongside Georgia in that category — in contrast to neighbouring Azerbaijan and South Ossetia, which are rated "Not Free."
The classification has long been a source of friction with Tbilisi. Georgian officials have repeatedly questioned the credibility and impartiality of Freedom House's assessments. In 2022, Georgian parliamentarian Mikhail Sardzhveladze challenged the methodology publicly, arguing it was implausible for Abkhazia to outscore countries such as Kazakhstan and NATO member Türkiye.
The full report is available on the Freedom House website.
See also:
+ Liana Kvarchelia: “For Freedom House the level of freedom is important”