EU delegation confirms that their staff member was denied entry to Georgia

EU staff member denied entry to Georgia

The European Union delegation in Georgia has confirmed earlier reports that on 21 May, their staff member Simon Vanderbroek was denied entry to the country and deported from the airport.

A note was sent to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the incident, after which the authorities apologised and allowed Vanderbroek to enter.

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Regina Yegorova-Askerova was turned away at the border without explanation. This is not the first case of arbitrary denial of entry to foreign nationals.

“Refusing entry to a duly accredited member of the EU delegation is a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and other relevant norms that Georgia is obliged to uphold.

A verbal note was sent to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding this matter. The Georgian authorities have issued a verbal apology for the regrettable incident and confirmed that the staff member may return to his post,” the EU delegation stated.

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The organisation sees this as part of the Georgian government’s attempt to restrict independent media amid ongoing protests in the country.