The European Union’s ambassador to Georgia has described the repression of protests there as unacceptable and said the EU is working on sanctions against Tbilisi.
Paweł Herczyński told journalists that a meeting of EU foreign ministers would be convened on December 16 and that "all measures are on the table."
The foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France recently criticized the Georgian authorities for “the disproportionate use of force” to quell pro-EU demonstrations after the pro-Moscow ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced the suspension of EU accession talks. Georgian Dream won a contested election in November.
“Violent actions, intimidation and threats against human rights defenders, representatives of civil society and activists, journalists and politicians, which we currently see in Georgia, are disgusting and clearly incompatible with basic democratic values,” Herczyński was quoted by Georgian press agency Interpress News as saying.
Interpress cited Herczyński as saying that “what has been happening in Georgia in the last 12 days clearly calls for sanctions, and I know that work is already underway to prepare sanctions,” adding the caveat that unanimity among the 27 member states would be required.
“I hope it will be hard for any EU capital to ignore the level of violence, the level of brutality,” he said. “Let's see if the sanctions will be presented on Monday; the preparatory work is already underway."
The foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France recently criticized the Georgian authorities for “the disproportionate use of force” to quell pro-EU demonstrations after the pro-Moscow ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced the suspension of EU accession talks. Georgian Dream won a contested election in November.
“Violent actions, intimidation and threats against human rights defenders, representatives of civil society and activists, journalists and politicians, which we currently see in Georgia, are disgusting and clearly incompatible with basic democratic values,” Herczyński was quoted by Georgian press agency Interpress News as saying.
Interpress cited Herczyński as saying that “what has been happening in Georgia in the last 12 days clearly calls for sanctions, and I know that work is already underway to prepare sanctions,” adding the caveat that unanimity among the 27 member states would be required.
“I hope it will be hard for any EU capital to ignore the level of violence, the level of brutality,” he said. “Let's see if the sanctions will be presented on Monday; the preparatory work is already underway."
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