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Georgian Opposition Appeals for Immediate EU Sanctions on Pro-Russian Leaders.
Georgian opposition parties are urging the EU to impose immediate sanctions on their country’s leadership, as mass anti-government protests continue in Tbilisi.
An appeal signed by four party leaders claims that Georgia is “on the verge of an unprecedented political crisis” after more than two weeks of rallies against the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to halt EU accession talks.
Security services have been widely criticized for their response to protests, with some activists beaten and detained, and crowds targeted with tear gas and water cannons.
The opposition chiefs’ appeal, addressed to EU countries’ foreign ministers and senior official Kaja Kallas, branded the repression of protests “organised terror” and called on European allies to denounce state violence and press for the unconditional release of protesters who are in custody.
They are urging the bloc to impose “targeted sanctions against those responsible for anti-democratic actions,” including influential Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and suspend visa-free travel for officials, press agency IPN reported. Another demand is that EU countries cease diplomatic contact with the government until new elections are held.
Georgian Dream is accused by its opponents of being authoritarian and pro-Russian. It has a parliamentary majority after winning contested elections in October, which the opposition claim were fraudulent.
On Saturday, lawmakers elected former professional footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, as the country’s new president. Opposition parties say his presidency is “illegitimate” due to allegations of inconsistencies during the earlier parliamentary elections.
In their letter, opposition leaders also outlined the scale of alleged political repression linked to the protests. They wrote that over 500 protesters have been arrested and claimed that 300 were subjected to violence, including 73 journalists, reported Poland’s PAP agency.
The election of Kavelashvili has “worsened an already difficult situation,” the politicians added, saying that the president-elect often engaged in “active anti-Western propaganda.”
On Monday, Kallas, who is the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will meet top diplomats to discuss the situation in Georgia, among other topics.
The Georgian opposition urged her to speak out in favor of democracy, saying that the Georgian nation is “standing up against Russian-backed authoritarianism, and fighting for a democratic, European future.”
The letter was signed by major figures including party leaders Nika Melia (Coalition for Change), Tina Bokuchava (Unity – National Movement), Mamuka Khazaradze (Strong Georgia – Lelo, for the People, for Freedom), and Zaza Tavadze (Gakharia – For Georgia).