US senators: "Georgian Dream's refusal to negotiate with EU betrays people"
US senators condemn Georgian Dream
US senators and co-chairs of the US Helsinki Commission, Ben Cardin, Roger Wicker, and John Cornyn, stated that the ruling Georgian Dream party’s refusal to negotiate Georgia‘s accession to the European Union is a betrayal of its people.
The senators reaffirmed their support for the Georgian people and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations, condemning the authorities’ attempts to violently suppress peaceful protests in Tbilisi and other cities.
“The Georgian Dream’s move to abandon European Union membership negotiations is a profound betrayal of the Georgian people’s clear and overwhelming desire to embrace European values and institutions. This is not the conduct of a government committed to democratic reforms and pluralism but of an insecure regime dragging Georgia toward Russian-style autocracy. These actions flagrantly violate international democratic norms and undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Georgian people.
We strongly condemn the violence unleashed against peaceful protesters – tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, beatings, and mass arrests have no place on the streets of Tbilisi. Georgian authorities responsible for human rights abuses and the erosion of democratic principles must face accountability from their own people and the international community. The Georgian people’s sacrifices for Euro-Atlantic integration demand our continued solidarity and action.”
A few days earlier, Joe Wilson, a Republican congressman and vice chair of the US Helsinki Commission, responded to events in Georgia, declaring the current Georgian government illegitimate and condemning the crackdown on protests.
The Helsinki Commission called on the US State Department to hold accountable those who restrict the right to peaceful protest and freedom of choice in Georgia. It also urged the current and future US administrations to support the Georgian people in restoring democracy and freedom.
