Opposition Parties Launch Joint Information Center
On December 5, four main opposition political forces — Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia, and Unity-UNM—announced the formation of a joint opposition information center, which they said will start functioning immediately. The center aims to provide the public with accurate updates, and details on the opposition’s actions, plans, and decisions.
At a briefing opposition leaders expressed solidarity with those arrested during the brutal dispersal of protests between November 28 and December 4.
“The regime entered a qualitatively new phase” said Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, referring to police raids on political and civil organizations the day earlier, On December 4. Japaridze said the police confiscated items, none of which were illegal. He said reports that Molotov cocktails had been found were false and claimed they had been fabricated by the police.
The opposition leaders highlighted the high number of detainees, many of whom have been transferred to regions outside of Tbilisi, due to the overcrowding of the detention centers in Tbilisi, and called for their immediate release. The opposition leaders said that they are committed to challenging the “illegitimate regime” and are pushing for new elections. Levan Tsutskiridze, one of the leaders of the Strong Georgia party, called on law enforcement agencies not to “participate in carrying out the illegitimate regime’s illegal orders.”
The ongoing demonstrations in Georgia, marked by excessive use of force by riot police against peaceful protesters, have attracted significant international attention. Lasha Bakradze, a member of the Unity-UNM, said that “the pressure from the West will increase,” citing, in particular, the expected discussions on Georgia at the OSCE ministerial that opened today.
Several international partners, including the Baltic States, have already imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) officials linked to the violence during the protests. Meanwhile, Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has urged Georgian authorities to respect human rights, particularly the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression. He also called for investigations into the recent brutality by the riot police. The growing pressure from international partners highlights deepening concerns over the state of democracy and human rights in Georgia.
Rallies in Tbilisi and other Georgian regions began on 28 November following PM Kobakhidze’s declaration that EU integration would be suspended “until 2028”.
Also Read:
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- 04/12/2024 – Ukrainian President Announces Plans to Sanction GD Government
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