“The Georgian people should be able to stand up for their rights because their ruling party has been systematically lying to Georgians for a long time, and people have the right to express their feelings through protests. Violence against protesters is disproportionate and against human rights,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in a statement.
New EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Sunday that the country’s democratic backsliding “will have direct consequences from [the] EU side.”
Thousands of protesters have been demonstrating in front of the Georgian parliament demanding the government resign after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on Nov. 28 that Georgia would suspend the process of EU accession until 2028.
Kobakhidze said it was “categorically unacceptable to view EU integration as an act of mercy,” and that the country would recommence its bid in 2028 “with dignity, rather than by begging.”
Since then, riot police have dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannon for four consecutive nights. Many journalists reported being targeted by police, who beat them and damaged their equipment. Dozens of protesters were brutally beaten, and more than 200 people were arrested. Georgia’s Ombudsman has stated that 80 percent of those arrested reported violence and inhumane treatment by the police.
The most unbelievable and hard video of the night and the true face of the Georgian police 😡 they look likes terrorist than police #Georgia #Tbilisi #protest pic.twitter.com/bPaTUqUfQM
— Samira Bayramova 🇬🇪 🇪🇺 🇺🇸 (@SamBayramova) November 30, 2024
Prior to Kobakhidze’s suspension of the country’s EU bid, Brussels had already said Georgia’s accession was halted because the country “has gone backwards.”
