Czechia, Baltic States Condemn Georgian Government's Violence Against Protesters

The Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have condemned the violence of the government against protesters in Georgia.

According to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country fully supports the statement made by the European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and the new European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kocs, on Georgia. In this statement, they expressed their disappointment with Georgia's decision not to continue negotiations on EU accession.

Therefore, as the Ministry emphasised, the Czech Republic strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition members.

The Czech Foreign Ministry noted that Georgia is one of the priority countries for Czech development and transition cooperation, which focuses on the social sector, rural development, the rule of law and general support for civil society and independent media.

‘We call on the Georgian leadership to change its anti-democratic course and adopt comprehensive and sustainable reforms in line with European values,’ the ministry said.

The statement added that the Czech Republic stands by the people of Georgia and will continue to support Georgian civil society and independent media, as well as the legitimate democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, for his part, announced a ban on entry to the country for a number of Georgian officials. He wrote about this on the platform X.

The list, in particular, includes the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Vakhtang Gomelauri, his deputies and heads of other security agencies. A total of 11 people.

Estonia and Latvia, following Lithuania, also strongly condemned the serious human rights violations in connection with the protests in Georgia.

Estonia also announced a ban on the entry of 11 Georgian officials, including the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Vakhtang Gomelauri and the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili. This is stated in an official statement by the country's Foreign Ministry.

The Latvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in response to the suppression of the protests, Georgian Ambassador to Latvia Irakli Kurashvili was summoned to the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hear the Georgian authorities condemn the violence and accept a note of protest.

For several days, protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party have been going on in Georgia, provoked by the authorities' announcement that they would suspend the process of European integration by 2028.

The protest on the night of 2 December ended in a crackdown with detentions. 

The Georgian chapter of the human rights organisation Transparency International accuses the Georgian security forces of inhuman treatment during the protests.