US Helsinki Commission: 'Personal sanctions needed for those responsible for repression in Georgia'
US Helsinki Commission condemns Georgian Dream
The chairman of the US Helsinki Commission, Joe Wilson, issued an urgent statement regarding the current political events in Georgia. He called on the State Department and European allies to impose personal sanctions on the Mayor of Tbilisi, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and “all those responsible for orchestrating repression.”
Wilson’s statement:
“The de-facto Georgian government has shed all pretense of democracy and has now started arresting innocent activists and peaceful members of the opposition in their homes and places of work. Make no mistake: Georgian Dream is using Kremlin-style dictatorial tactics.
The U.S. government must respond to punish those involved in perpetrating violence and brutality against innocent Georgians immediately. If we do not act now, Georgian Dream will continue escalating their campaign of violence and brutality to levels we have not seen in the country in decades.
The Department of State should begin by announcing personal sanctions against the mayor of Tbilisi, the Minister of the Interior, and all other officials responsible for orchestrating this crackdown. I call on our European allies to do the same.”
The day before, 17 American diplomats and security experts issued a joint statement condemning Georgian Dream’s anti-Western stance and the police violence against peaceful protesters.
They urged the United States to declare the Georgian parliament, formed after the October 26 elections, illegitimate and to impose sanctions on those responsible for authoritarian policies in the country.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association plans to appeal to the International Criminal Court, as they believe the systematic and brutal repression of the civilian population in Georgia should be considered a crime against humanity.
US Helsinki Group condemns Georgian Dream
