Lithuanian Seimas Condemns Violence by GD Government Against Protesters, Calls for EU Sanctions
The Lithuanian Seimas has strongly condemned the violence of the Georgian Government against peaceful protesters in Tbilisi and elsewhere in the country, the intimidation and illegal detention of civil society and media representatives, and called for EU sanctions against the ruling GD government and for new parliamentary elections in Georgia.
The resolution, published by the Seimas, expresses unwavering support for the Georgian people’s aspirations to join the European Union. In response to the violence, Lithuania calls on the European Union to impose personal sanctions on officials and political leaders responsible for the repressive actions. Additionally, the Seimas urges the EU to limit official contacts with the Georgian government and the parliament, suspend financial aid to Georgian government and authorities, and instead increase support for civil society and independent media.
The resolution also highlights concerns regarding the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia, which were marred by significant irregularities. The Seimas states that the elections failed to meet international democratic standards and should not be considered either free or fair. The resolution outlines various election-related irregularities, including vote manipulation, voter buying, and the confiscation of ID cards, urging an independent and transparent investigation into these allegations.
In line with the European Parliament’s call for new elections, the Seimas expresses its full support for holding new parliamentary elections in Georgia.
The election results were rejected by President Salome Zurabishvili and all opposition forces which cleared the 5% electoral threshold. Following the rigged elections, President Salome Zurabishvili and 30 former opposition MPs filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court on November 19, challenging the election results. However, the Constitutional Court rejected both appeals on December 3.
The situation escalated on November 28 when protests broke out across Georgia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of Georgia’s EU integration process, three days after a self-proclaimed parliamentary session. Riot police responded with excessive force, dispersing peaceful demonstrators, making illegal arrests and subjecting demonstrators to physical and verbal abuse. Reports from the Public Defender’s Office and various monitoring bodies indicated that detainees suffered serious injuries, with allegations of abuse while detained in police cars or at the police stations, assessing it as acts of torture.
The crackdown intensified on December 4, when police raided opposition party offices and searched the homes of activists. In response to these actions, several international partners, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine, have already imposed national sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the de-facto leader of Georgia, and officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) responsible for the violence.
Also Read:
- 05/12/2024 – Leading MEPs Condemn Repressions in Georgia, Call for EU Sanctions
- 05/12/2024 – Opposition Parties Launch Joint Information Center
- 05/12/2024 – Special Investigation Service Probes Alleged Police Violence During Pro-EU Protests
- 04/12/2024 – GYLA: State Institutions Are Involved in Crimes Against Humanity
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)