**PACE Delegation Visits Georgia**
A delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visited Georgia from January 14 to 16. The visit aimed to assess Georgia’s compliance with its obligations as a Council of Europe member state.
**Meetings with Georgian Dream and Opposition Leaders**
The delegation met with leaders from both the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition. Shalva Papuashvili, chair of the GD Parliament, discussed the ongoing political and social processes in Georgia with the rapporteurs. He also highlighted the country’s efforts to join the European Union.
In a meeting with three opposition coalitions, leaders emphasized that the PACE visit was not meant to legitimize the de-facto government. They reported widespread human rights violations, including allegations of mistreatment, torture, and repression.
**Visit to Detained Individuals**
The delegation also visited Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party “Gakharia for Georgia,” who was physically assaulted the day before in Batumi. The PACE members met with him at his home to discuss post-election developments and Georgia’s European future.
Additionally, they visited actor Andro Chichinadze and activist Zviad Tsetskladze in prison, where they were arrested during pro-European protests.
**Meeting with General Prosecutor**
The delegation met with the General Prosecutor of Georgia, Giorgi Gabitashvili, at his office. He briefed them on alleged “illegal actions” taken by protest participants during recent demonstrations and outlined steps taken by the Prosecutor’s Office in response to these events.
**Next Steps for PACE**
PACE will hold debates on Georgia during its January 27-31 session. The discussions are expected to focus on the country’s ongoing crisis and the opposition’s demands for new elections.
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