17 foreign ministers from European countries, along with the EU’s High Representative Kaja Kallas, said they are “disturbed” and “deeply concerned” by what they called the “deteriorating situation” in Georgia.
The joint statement, issued on July 11, came from the foreign ministers of Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the EU High Representative.
The European FMs and Kaja Kallas said, “We strongly condemn the recent, politically motivated, imprisonment and detention of the leaders of Georgian opposition, clearly designed to stifle political opposition in Georgia, a few months ahead of the local elections.”
“Their detention, as well as arbitrary arrests and increasing repression of other Georgian authorities` critics, representatives of civil society, peaceful protesters and independent journalists, contribute to dismantling of democracy in Georgia and rapid transformation towards an authoritarian system, in contradiction to European norms and values,” they said.
“Recent legislative changes aim at stifling independent civil society and legitimate protest,” they added.
The statement said Georgian authorities’ “political repression” has led to what they described as a “considerable downgrading” of relations with Georgia, including “reduction of assistance and cooperation with Georgian authorities.”
The European FMs called the Georgian government’s course “authoritarian” and “anti-European,” saying it “threatens Georgia’s democratic achievements and relations with our countries.”
“We will continue to call out Georgian authorities’ undemocratic actions and violations of human rights and will not hesitate to make use of the range of unilateral and multilateral tools available to us should Georgian authorities continue to take steps that erode Georgia’s democracy and respect for human rights,” the statement said.
“It is not too late to reverse course,” the FMs added, urging Georgian authorities to “immediately release unjustly detained politicians, journalists and activists, to reverse repressive legislation and to engage in a national dialogue with all relevant stakeholders to find a way out of the current situation.”
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