European parliamentarians demand sanctions against Ivanishvili and the ruling party MPs
Sanctions against Ivanishvili
During the plenary session on April 22, the European Parliament discussed the “foreign agents” bill and the violent dispersal of a peaceful demonstration in the capital of Georgia. Various groups of European parliamentarians prepared draft resolutions demanding sanctions be imposed against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the oligarch and founder of the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” Georgian deputies who voted for the bill, and high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
During the same session, some members of the European Parliament demanded the release of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili from prison.
The vote on the resolutions will take place on April 25th.
Reactions
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič called on the Georgian government to withdraw the bill.
According to member of the European Parliament Michael Gahler, if we talk about “foreign agents,” then the only foreign agents in the ruling party are those who copy Russian laws and promote Russian-style governance, “possibly even on behalf of Russia.”
Referring to prime minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze’s planned visit to Hungary to attend an extremely right-wing, “anti-globalist” conference with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, Gahler said he was curious about “where this country and ruling party are heading.”
“We once again urge the European Council to impose sanctions against oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili,” said commissioner Miriam Lexmann.
However, according to MEP Sven Mikser, if the Georgian parliament adopts this bill, one should not expect Georgia to join the European Union.
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“Every time I think the ‘Georgian Dream’ has hit rock bottom, they still manage to surprise me by sinking even lower,” – stated European parliamentarian Viola von Cramon.
Because the ‘Georgian Dream’ is actually the Russian dream, and when 83 deputies openly support Russian law, it’s no longer democracy but a puppet show, with puppeteer Bidzina Ivanishvili pulling the strings.
The oligarch takes instructions from Russian masters—instructions aimed at depriving Georgia of a European future.
To please Putin, his puppets will do anything—break laws, beat people. But the Georgian people won’t stand for it. There’s a youth paving the way to Europe because they were born free.
In the fight for our European future, we stand with the brave Georgians!”
European Parliamentarian from the Czech Republic, Marketa Gregorova, stated that Georgian citizens continue to face repression, now at the hands of Special Forces commander Zviad Kharazishvili.
Her Lithuanian colleague, Petras Auštrevičius, called on EU institutions to “impose sanctions against Georgian citizens who obstruct democratic processes and organize the persecution of peaceful demonstrators, in particular against Zviad Kharabashvili and Vazha Siradze.”
