
PACE President: Georgia’s Participation in Assembly Obligatory, Not Optional
Theódoros Roussópoulos, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), stressed in a debriefing with journalists that for the Georgian delegation to PACE, participation in the Assembly is a must, not a choice, as the credentials of its members have been ratified.
The PACE adopted a resolution on Georgia on January 29, ratifying the delegation’s credentials but setting conditions for the Georgian authorities, including the announcement of new elections and the “release of all political prisoners” by April. Following the adoption of the resolution the head of the Georgian delegation to PACE, Tea Tsulukiani, announced that Georgia was suspending its work in the Assembly.
“The Parliamentary Assembly is not a partial agreement, but a statutory body participation in which is not a choice, but it is an obligation,” the PACE President told journalists today, January 31. He added, “Since the credentials were accepted, they have to be in the Assembly. This is their obligation.”
President Roussópoulos said that the PACE Presidential Committee discussed the case “thoroughly” last night and will continue to discuss it “within the next weeks” and that the decision will be made at the next PACE session in April. However, he declined to elaborate on what the decision might be if the Georgian delegation continues to refuse its obligation to work in the Assembly. He said, “I am not going to respond to any kind of hypothesis now. I have the hypothesis but I will keep it in my mind.”
Roussópoulos also noted that “this is a new situation,” when the credentials of the delegation have been ratified but the delegation rejects to work in the Assembly.” He clarified that the case of Azerbaijan was different as its delegation’s credentials were not ratified at all.
He also said that “Georgia should accept that they have to be monitored” in cases where they do not fulfill the credentials and do not respect the organization’s rules. In this regard, he specifically spoke about the imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli and discussed the circumstances of her arrest. He said that the treatment she received in the detention facility, such as being denied water and access to the restroom, was “torture.” “I think this case gives us, brings under the light, the importance of respecting the rules, especially the Human Rights Convention,” he said.
Also Read:
- 27/01/2025 – Georgian Delegation Credentials Challenged at PACE Opening
- 25/01/2025 – CoE HR Commissioner Visits Georgia, Concerned About Police Brutality, Lack of Accountability, Repressive Laws
- 20/12/2024 – CoE’s Secretary General: GD Promised to Amend Foreign Agents’ Law
- 20/12/2024 – Secretary General of CoE Visit to Georgia
- 05/01/2025 – Opposition to PACE: Do Not Verify Georgian Dream MP Credentials
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)