Day: May 14, 2024
Armenia, clergy-led protests in Yerevan call for Pashinyan’s resignation Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso
On May 13, Freedom House interim President Nicole Bibbins Sedaca issued a statement calling on the Georgian authorities to withdraw the Foreign Agents Bill from the Parliament. Freedom House urges the governments of the EU, the UK and the U.S. to “curb the growing repression against the Georgian people.” The statement says that “travel restrictions and financial sanctions should be immediately imposed on high-ranking Georgian Dream officials and their family members if the law is passed without the approval of the Venice Commission or before its findings have been issued.”
“Freedom House supports the Georgian people, who have consistently and overwhelmingly backed a democratic path for their country… If passed, this law would stigmatize legitimate civic activity and independent media and… would align Georgia with repressive regimes such as those in Russia and Kyrgyzstan—autocracies that have systemically worked to decimate civil society using similar measures—and greatly hinder Georgia’s European Union accession efforts,” – reads the statement.
In its statement, Freedom House condemns the “ongoing repression and violence against the peaceful protesters”, including the use of water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests. “We are also deeply alarmed by the threats and attacks against Georgian human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition figures, and their families. This repression is unacceptable in any country, but particularly for an aspirant country to the European Union.”
“This is a critical juncture for Georgia’s democratic path. Democratic governments must stand with the people of Georgia and send a clear message that the Georgian Dream government’s current actions will not be tolerated,” – concludes the statement.
Also Read:
On May 13, the day before the Georgian Parliament votes on the notorious foreign agents law, 55 international human rights organizations, civil society groups and election observers issued a joint statement calling on European and national leaders to “promptly address” the ruling Georgian Dream government’s attempt to “crackdown on civil society” ahead of October’s parliamentary elections. The statement released by the European Platform for Democratic Elections/EPDE reads: “Urgent and decisive international political support for the Georgian civil society is crucial to defend Georgian democracy from Russian-style authoritarianism,” the CSOs say.
Highlighting a “striking resemblance” between the GD-backed “law on transparency of foreign influence” and similar legislation passed in Russia in 2012, the CSOs say this law “threatens to equip the government with tools to suppress civil society and independent media.” The law takes Georgia off the EU path, the CSOs also note. “Russian inspired “Foreign Influence” law is an instrument to crackdown on civil society and independent media,” the CSOs say, noting that increasingly repressive amendments to the law have completely wiped out independent media and civil society activity in Russia.
They also say that if passed, the law would give the GD government “a significant means to greatly restrict citizen oversight of the electoral process, something never seen before to this extent,” ahead of crucial parliamentary elections in October.
Recalling the massive protests against the law, the civil society organizations also stress that the Georgian authorities used “unprecedented violence” to suppress peaceful protests and that it “emphasizes the critical need for the international community to support the Georgian people.”
The CSOs are calling on:
- EU Heads of States and Government to “acknowledge the urgency of the matter as once the legislation is passsed the deteritoration of civil society and electoral integrity may accelerate severely”;
- EU to “urge Georgian government to investigate recent cases of pressure and harassment against citizen election observers and human rights defenders in the country”;
- EU member states and their representatives in Georgia to “show solidarity with the Georgian people who took to the streets in defense of their democratic rights and European future”‘;
- President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, HR/VP Joseph Borrel and the diplomatic community in Georgia to “show presence on the streets of Georgia in solidarity with the Georgian people.”
If the law is adopted, the CSOs also call on the European institutions to take into account the following recommendations:
- The European Commission should put on hold Georgia’s EU integration process which requires the government in Tbilisi to fulfill the nine steps set out by the European Commission which include ensuring a free, fair and competitive electoral process;
- The European Commission should follow the European Parliament’s resolution of 25 April 2024 and introduce restrictive measures such as travel ban and asset freeze against Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia, as well as sanctions against those responsible for the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors;
- The European Commission should suspend budget support to Georgia and financing of government-led projects;
- European Institutions increase financial support and explore alternative ways of supporting Georgian civil society and democratic movements, including through the European Endowment for Democracy;
- The EU and its Member States should support a large-scale and long-term election observation effort both through international institutions as the OSCE/ODIHR and domestic observers in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in October.
Despite unprecedented international and domestic opposition to the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law, the ruling party remains determined to push it through. The bill is scheduled to be voted on in its third reading today, May 14 at 12:00.
Also Read:
On May 13, Freedom House interim President Nicole Bibbins Sedaca issued a statement calling on the Georgian authorities to withdraw the Foreign Agents Bill from the Parliament. Freedom House urges the governments of the EU, the UK and the U.S. to “curb the growing repression against the Georgian people.” The statement says that “travel restrictions and financial sanctions should be immediately imposed on high-ranking Georgian Dream officials and their family members if the law is passed without the approval of the Venice Commission or before its findings have been issued.”
“Freedom House supports the Georgian people, who have consistently and overwhelmingly backed a democratic path for their country… If passed, this law would stigmatize legitimate civic activity and independent media and… would align Georgia with repressive regimes such as those in Russia and Kyrgyzstan—autocracies that have systemically worked to decimate civil society using similar measures—and greatly hinder Georgia’s European Union accession efforts,” – reads the statement.
In its statement, Freedom House condemns the “ongoing repression and violence against the peaceful protesters”, including the use of water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests. “We are also deeply alarmed by the threats and attacks against Georgian human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition figures, and their families. This repression is unacceptable in any country, but particularly for an aspirant country to the European Union.”
“This is a critical juncture for Georgia’s democratic path. Democratic governments must stand with the people of Georgia and send a clear message that the Georgian Dream government’s current actions will not be tolerated,” – concludes the statement.
Also Read:
On May 13, the day before the Georgian Parliament votes on the notorious foreign agents law, 55 international human rights organizations, civil society groups and election observers issued a joint statement calling on European and national leaders to “promptly address” the ruling Georgian Dream government’s attempt to “crackdown on civil society” ahead of October’s parliamentary elections. The statement released by the European Platform for Democratic Elections/EPDE reads: “Urgent and decisive international political support for the Georgian civil society is crucial to defend Georgian democracy from Russian-style authoritarianism,” the CSOs say.
Highlighting a “striking resemblance” between the GD-backed “law on transparency of foreign influence” and similar legislation passed in Russia in 2012, the CSOs say this law “threatens to equip the government with tools to suppress civil society and independent media.” The law takes Georgia off the EU path, the CSOs also note. “Russian inspired “Foreign Influence” law is an instrument to crackdown on civil society and independent media,” the CSOs say, noting that increasingly repressive amendments to the law have completely wiped out independent media and civil society activity in Russia.
They also say that if passed, the law would give the GD government “a significant means to greatly restrict citizen oversight of the electoral process, something never seen before to this extent,” ahead of crucial parliamentary elections in October.
Recalling the massive protests against the law, the civil society organizations also stress that the Georgian authorities used “unprecedented violence” to suppress peaceful protests and that it “emphasizes the critical need for the international community to support the Georgian people.”
The CSOs are calling on:
- EU Heads of States and Government to “acknowledge the urgency of the matter as once the legislation is passsed the deteritoration of civil society and electoral integrity may accelerate severely”;
- EU to “urge Georgian government to investigate recent cases of pressure and harassment against citizen election observers and human rights defenders in the country”;
- EU member states and their representatives in Georgia to “show solidarity with the Georgian people who took to the streets in defense of their democratic rights and European future”‘;
- President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, HR/VP Joseph Borrel and the diplomatic community in Georgia to “show presence on the streets of Georgia in solidarity with the Georgian people.”
If the law is adopted, the CSOs also call on the European institutions to take into account the following recommendations:
- The European Commission should put on hold Georgia’s EU integration process which requires the government in Tbilisi to fulfill the nine steps set out by the European Commission which include ensuring a free, fair and competitive electoral process;
- The European Commission should follow the European Parliament’s resolution of 25 April 2024 and introduce restrictive measures such as travel ban and asset freeze against Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia, as well as sanctions against those responsible for the violent crackdown on peaceful protestors;
- The European Commission should suspend budget support to Georgia and financing of government-led projects;
- European Institutions increase financial support and explore alternative ways of supporting Georgian civil society and democratic movements, including through the European Endowment for Democracy;
- The EU and its Member States should support a large-scale and long-term election observation effort both through international institutions as the OSCE/ODIHR and domestic observers in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in October.
Despite unprecedented international and domestic opposition to the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law, the ruling party remains determined to push it through. The bill is scheduled to be voted on in its third reading today, May 14 at 12:00.
Also Read:
On 14 May, the “Musavat” Party reported the disappearance of its activist Natig Mehti (Ulubey).
The Party’s press service told Turan that he disappeared along with his car on 10 May.
“Natig Ulubey’s relatives have filed a report with the 37th police station. We have also contacted the Interior Ministry,…