British MP Perran Moon sharply criticized the situation in Georgia during a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, stating that further engagement between international institutions and the Georgian authorities is impossible without concrete steps to improve human rights and democratic freedoms.
He argues that the ruling Georgian Dream party is using state institutions and the judiciary to pressure political opponents, peaceful protesters, civil society representatives, and independent media, while judicial mechanisms intended to ensure justice and independence are being turned into instruments of political persecution.
“The list of journalists, politicians, and civil society representatives currently under arrest has grown even longer. I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention to four of them: Mzia Amaglobeli, a respected journalist; two protesters, Saba Jikia and Saba Skhvitaridze; and, of course, Elene Khoshtaria, a mother of four who is seriously ill and deprived of the medical care she needs.
Behind these names stand dozens and dozens of others. And this Assembly must ensure that their voices continue to be heard across the continent. The repression must stop, all political prisoners must be released, and elections must be free and fair.
Under these circumstances, the UK government must play its part in sanctioning dirty money held in London and avoid accusations of complicity in the repression of the Georgian people.
It is absolutely essential that the Council of Europe learns from its past mistakes. The report states: ‘Dialogue must be based on a common understanding that membership in the Council of Europe is a privilege that entails both rights and responsibilities. Therefore, without any tangible commitments or concessions, including the release of all political prisoners, engagement with the Georgian government cannot and should not continue,'” Moon stated.
As a reminder, on June 24, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on Georgia, emphasizing that democratic backsliding in Georgia continues, as does pressure on civil society, the political opposition, and dissidents. It noted that none of the Assembly’s recommendations requiring urgent implementation had been fulfilled.
