Top lawmaker vows to tear up European Parliament report on Georgia

Georgian authorities will “tear up and throw away” a report on Georgia prepared by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili said.

Papuashvili sharply criticized both the document and its author, arguing that the report lacks legitimacy due to previous remarks made about Georgia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“The report is being prepared by a person who has made fascist statements about Georgia. Rasa Juknevičienė said that ‘Georgian Dream’ is an infection, and that is a fascist statement. She also said that the Georgian people are to blame for this. Therefore, the main problem is that today, in the European Parliament, Georgian issues are overseen by a person who has made fascist statements about Georgia,” Papuashvili stated.

The report notes that the Georgian Dream continues a systematic campaign against the European Union, officials and diplomats.

According to the document, “the activities of civil society and independent media in Georgia are further hampered by repressive legislation, in particular by the recent amendments to the Law on Grants.”

“Political opponents are detained or face threats and physical attacks. Hundreds of civil society activists have been subjected to physical violence and intimidation, and dozens of activists have been arrested on political grounds,” the document states.

The report also supports targeted sanctions by the EU and its member states against the leadership and key officials of the Georgian Dream, and welcomes the activation of the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism and the EU’s decision to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports.

By Vafa Guliyeva