Opposition Forces Request Action from CoE Over Alain Berset’s Controversial Visit to Tbilisi
The four main opposition forces have issued a joint statement urging the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Committee of Ministers to take action regarding the issue of integrity of actions Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, during his recent visit to Georgia. The opposition forces (Coalition for Change, UNM -Unity, For Georgia and Strong Georgia) have called for the issue to be addressed in the public debates scheduled for January, questioning whether Berset’s actions align with the founding principles of the Council of Europe.
At the press briefing on December 20 dedicated to his visit, Alain Berset unexpectedly raised the issue of amending the law on Foreign Agents, welcoming the fact that GD officials had promised him to amend the law. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the GD, including by setting up a joint working group to this end.
The opposition parties described Berset’s statement on the amendment of the Foreign Agents law as “irresponsible” and “incompatible with the spirit of the Council of Europe” and its core values. They stressed that his actions were not in line with the guiding principles of the institution.
In their joint statement, the opposition parties condemned the proposal to amend and “embellish” the Foreign Agents’ describing it as “completely unacceptable.” They also denounced the idea of forming a working group under an “illegitimate” parliament and “illegitimate” government for such amendments. The opposition parties insisted that the “anti-democratic and anti-European” laws, including the Foreign Agents law, should be repealed immediately after the formation of a new government.
The opposition further reaffirmed their “deep respect” for the Council of Europe and its principles, expressing willingness to collaborate with the institution to uphold these values. They called for urgent measures to resolve Georgia’s political crisis, stressing that any solution must include the “unconditional and immediate release of illegally detained persons” and guarantees for new, fair, and competitive elections.
The statement also highlighted the ongoing political unrest in Georgia, including violent crackdowns, illegal detentions, raids, and intimidation, which they described as “government usurpation, the complete collapse of democratic institutions, and the deliberate sabotage of Georgia’s European perspective.”
The opposition political parties pointed out that Berset had been briefed in detail about these developments during his meetings with them. “Despite this, he made completely out-of-context and irresponsible statements, which logically raise doubts about his integrity,” the opposition parties stressed.
President Salome Zurabishvili earlier in the day, also rejected the idea of creating a working group with the “unrecognized” government to amend the laws. She argued that the core issue was not the law itself, but the “Russian-style government” currently in power. Zurabishvili emphasized that any attempt to amend the law would only serve to silence the people and end the ongoing protests, asserting that the only viable solution was the organization of new elections.
Also Read:
- 20/12/2024 – Criticism Flares After CoE Secretary General’s Announcement to Work with GD to Amend Agents’ Law
- 20/12/2024 – CoE’s Secretary General: GD Promised to Amend Foreign Agents’ Law
- 20/12/2024 – Secretary General of CoE Visit to Georgia
- 11/05/2024 – Over 50 International Rights Organizations Stand with Georgian CSOs, Call for Withdrawal of Foreign Agents Law
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