European Parliament resolution: pardon Saakashvili and sanctions on Ivanishvili
EU resolution on Georgia
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the Georgian authorities to pardon former President Mikheil Saakashvili and transfer him abroad for treatment.
The resolution also refers to the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, as an oligarch and emphasizes his principal role in Saakashvili’s arrest. According to MEPs, Saakashvili’s imprisonment is “Ivanishvili’s personal revenge.” The deputies call for personal sanctions against Ivanishvili for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia.
This resolution was supported by 577 deputies, with 33 against and 26 abstentions.
The European Parliament adopted the annual resolution on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union on December 14, 2022. Before the adoption of the final resolution, the European Parliament also voted for separate amendments, most of which were supported by MPs. The document also includes compromise amendments adopted in November, according to which the European Parliament recommends eliminating the excessive influence of Bidzina Ivanishvili in the country.
European parliamentarians believe that the unresolved issue of Saakashvili’s health creates a risk of delaying Georgia’s prospects for obtaining the status of a candidate member of the EU.
MEPs also note that the country’s treatment of prisoners such as Saakashvili is a litmus test of the Georgian government’s commitment to European values and its stated European aspirations, including EU candidate status.
The deputies also say the Georgian authorities are responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of Saakashvili, providing him with proper medical care and respecting his fundamental rights and personal dignity “in accordance with the country’s constitution and international obligations.”
“The country’s progress towards European reforms must return to the center of politics,” the resolution says.
- “Saakashvili will not be released on pardon” – President of Georgia
- ‘The decline of democracy in Georgia is alarming’ – US Senate Committee
- Georgian version of the “Magnitsky list”‘
A few hours before the adoption of this resolution, the special penitentiary service of Georgia published a new video recording of Saakashvili. Dated Feb 9, the stated purpose is to give an objective view of Saakashvili’s condition
The penitentiary service says the footage “shows that information about Saakashvili’s health is not true.”