The Daily Beat: 3 December
Thousands continue to gather outside the parliament building in Tbilisi for the sixth night, protesting against the government’s decision to suspend EU negotiations. Riot police, special forces, and unidentified masked individuals continue to violently disperse demonstrators using tear gas, water cannons, and other special means. As in previous nights, crackdowns on demonstrators are followed by beatings and arrests of protesters. Reports indicate that nearly all detainees experience physical abuse, with some being severely beaten. For more updates on pro-EU protests, you can visit our Live Blog: Aborted EU Accession.
Constitutional Court of Georgia issued its decision on December 3 rejecting appeals by President Zurabishvili and more than 30 former opposition MPs challenging the constitutionality of the October 26 parliamentary elections. Salome Zurabishvili had appealed to the Court on November 19, alleging violations of the constitutional principles of secrecy of the vote and universal suffrage in the 26 October parliamentary elections.
Irakli Kobakhidze addressed the media at a press conference, claiming that the police response had met “higher standards than those seen in Europe and the U.S.” Despite the numerous reports and footage of the police violence and inhuman and degrading treatment of the detained, he praised the Interior Ministry staff and their handling of the protests.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ambassador of Lithuania Darius Vitkauskas, Ambassador of Estonia Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, and Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Latvia Lolita Lenkeviča, following the Baltic states’ decision to sanction the ruling Georgian Dream party’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and officials of the Interior Ministry, including the Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri.
Sixty employees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, including its prominent faces, TV presenters Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, have signed a statement condemning the violent crackdown on protesters and distancing themselves from the Georgian Dream party’s decision to halt the EU membership process until 2028. The document says the move violates Georgia’s constitutional commitment to European integration.
Tea Maisuradze, Georgia’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, resigned on December 2, joining several other ambassadors who have stepped down due to the government’s recent shift in foreign policy. In a post on X, Maisuradze stated, “I’ve submitted my resignation as Ambassador of Georgia to the Czech Republic, and I remain committed to Georgia’s European future.”
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel stated that the U.S. condemns the “excessive use of force” by police during the dispersal of the rallies, is concerned about reports of assaults and arrests of journalists, and calls on all parties to “ensure that the protests remain peaceful.” “We are urging the Georgian government to strictly respect the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms,” said Spokesperson Patel.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, following consecutive protests since November 28 that have been marred by violence and dispersal by police using disproportionate force in the capital, Tbilisi, and other Georgian cities.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus, Luis Graça, has expressed concern over recent protests and clashes in Georgia following the October parliamentary elections, calling for dialogue, restraint, and respect for fundamental freedoms.