The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held a debate on Georgia, where the discussion focused on the ongoing processes in Georgia.
Statements were made by MEPs who condemned the "Georgian Dream" regime and called on EU countries to take effective steps.
Statements were made by them that sanctions should be imposed on those in power who are responsible for the illegal detentions of people.
Eerik-Niiles Kross: “My question is - what else needs to happen in Georgia before we actually get involved and do something? I would also like to ask you to call the events by their proper names. Avoid [the word] ‘democratic backsliding’, this is not ‘democratic backsliding’.
What we are witnessing in real time is a Russian-style, Russian-led and Russian-assisted seizure of Georgia. This is a state seizure before us by an oligarchic, autocratic regime inspired and run by Moscow.
The Georgian people have been peacefully demonstrating under European flags for over 200 days. Not a single one of their demands has been met. Not a single one.
And what have we done? In January, this assembly ratified the mandate of the Georgian delegation with reservations. The four main conditions were: the release of political prisoners, the end of repression of civil society, investigation of police violence and, most importantly, the announcement of new parliamentary elections. And what was the response? The Georgian Dream delegation left the assembly because their “feelings were hurt” and the regime started to escalate.
There is no fulfillment of conditions at all. On the contrary, Bidzina Ivanishvili and his so-called government are dragging Georgia 180 degrees in the opposite direction from democracy to dictatorship…
This week alone, 7 opposition leaders were arrested and sentenced. They were banned from political activity, which means they cannot participate in the elections. Some of them have already been mentioned here and I will name one more - Givi Targamadze. He has already been sentenced in absentia in Belarus, there are charges against him in Russia, he was almost blown up by Kadyrov’s Chechens. He is now facing criminal charges in Georgia.
Let us be completely clear - if we do not react now, we will be complicit. Silence is no longer neutrality, silence is betrayal. Therefore, we demand immediate targeted sanctions against all officials of the Georgian Dream - ministers, parliamentarians, judges, police and their supporters and families. We call on worthy civil servants and police officers to leave their positions and join people…
Georgia is on the verge of becoming another conquered nation, as Belarus is today and was half of Europe before. And this will be a victory for Russia and the “Ruski Mir”, a defeat for Europe and this Assembly”, - said Eerik-Niiles Kross.
Oleksiy Goncharenko: “Yesterday, here in this hall, we received the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a speech, but before that he signed an agreement on a special tribunal. A truly historic moment - a tribunal for aggression.
But you know what? There are six member states that have not signed this agreement. And one of these former countries is Georgia. And Georgia itself is a victim of Russian aggression. 20% of Georgia’s territory is occupied by Russia. Almost the same number as in Ukraine.
Georgia was a victim of the Moscow regime even earlier than we were. And after that Georgia does not support the tribunal against Russian aggression. Can you imagine that?
So the question is - who is the Georgian government really working for? Who are their patrons? When they arrest opposition leaders, this is not the voice of the Georgian people, this is the whisper of the Kremlin.
The Georgian people deserve leaders who will support them, not Putin. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.
Yes, part of the blame lies with all of us. There was a moment in 2008 when Ukraine and Georgia stood at NATO’s door and NATO said: “Yes, we’ll let you in, but we don’t know when.” Many people didn’t understand what was happening. Putin clearly understood. And since 2008 he started a war against Georgia, then against Ukraine.
He is destroying these countries, trying to kill all of us, trying to occupy these countries. And now he is taking Georgia in a hybrid way, because his tanks are too busy in Ukraine. That’s why it’s not tanks, but puppets, Russian agents, who are carrying out this attack on Georgia.
This is not Bidzina Ivanishvili. We should call him “Lukashvili,” because he is making Belarus out of Georgia. That’s the way of Belarus, which first lost democracy, and then statehood. And now this is an occupied country. This is exactly what is happening in Georgia now.
Just a few months ago, we met here with Giorgi Vashadze, other Georgian leaders who are now in prison. Just imagine - we met them, shook their hands, said to them, “Long live Georgia,” and now these people are in prison.
We must do everything we can to save Georgia from Moscow, to return Georgia to the Georgian people. Long live Georgia,” Goncharenko said.
Peran Moon: In fact, six opposition leaders have been arrested in the past few weeks.
As Zurab Japaridze was being led away in handcuffs, he said: “In the end, we will win.” This is the spirit of a man who believes in freedom. Even when he was being silenced by force. This is the voice of a man who needs to be heard in this room and across Europe.
We must add Nika Gvaramia to the list of political prisoners, the third arrested opposition leader. Last Wednesday in London, I met Badri Japaridze, the leader of the opposition party Lelo, who explained to me the laws that have been passed, which aim to restrict media freedom, civil society and peaceful assembly. Japaridze told me that he was also returning to Tbilisi, where he was charged in what he believed was an unfair trial, from which he expected to be fined. Instead, on Monday of this week, Badri Japaridze, along with Lelo party co-leader Mamuka Khazaradze, was sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from holding public office for two years.
They are not just oppositionists, they are symbols of Georgia’s democratic aspirations and resistance to organized authoritarianism.
My friends, I must tell you that time is running out and we must act now. We are at the last possible moment for Georgia. If we are serious about supporting those who bravely resist political persecution in Georgia, we must target those responsible for this repression. Not just with words, but with actions. That means freezing their assets, restricting their access to Western education and institutions, and depriving them of the luxury of vacations and safe havens abroad while they destroy democracy at home,” Moon said.
