The European People’s Party adopted a resolution on November 18 demanding that the Georgian government cease its ongoing political persecution of the free media and political opposition.
The resolution stated that “the continued political imprisonment of ex-President Mikheil Sakaashvili, Ukrainian citizen, and acting official, and the denial to him of adequate medical treatment in Georgian prison, as Putin’s personal slave, and the recent decision by the Appeals’ Court upholding the political charges against Mtavari TV Managing director Nika Gvaramia only exacerbates Georgia’s democracy regression and the Russian interference in the country, which is the result of Bidzina Ilvanishi’s
The resolution of November 18, titled “On Democratic Regression and Political Persecutions In Georgia”, referred to a previous resolution passed by EPP which denounced Nika’s conviction, as well as an increasing number of incidents of violence, intimidation and threats against journalists and persecution.
The resolution recalled that “having regard to the 9th June 2022 European Parliament Resolution on Violations of Media Freedom and the Safety of Journalists in Georgia and the Resolution No. 2463 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (PACE), on the Further Escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine (Article 7),” the resolution reminded.
The EPP calls on the Georgian Government to “end political persecution against its opponents and free media” – ensure immediate release and humanitarian transfers of ex-President Saakashvili into another country for a adequate medical treatment, and release Mtavari TV’s Managing Director Nika Gavaramia from jail.
By Sophie Hodler
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