Police block a street during a protest against the governments' decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
A woman stands with an EU flag during a protest against the governments' decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Demonstrators draped in the Georgian national flags cycle next to the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 202, to protest against the government's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Police block a street during a protest against the governments' decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Demonstrators take part in a rally to protest against the government's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
BERLIN (AP) — The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland on Saturday strongly condemned “the disproportionate use of force" against peaceful protesters and the targeting of the opposition and media representatives in Georgia.
Mass to suspend negotiations on on Thursday, with police cracking down on demonstrators with increasing force.
In their joint statement, the three foreign ministers called for the immediate release of opposition members. They demanded that “fundamental rights, including freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, must be upheld and protected as per Georgia’s constitution and international commitments.”
The ruling Georgian Dream party retained control of parliament in a disputed Oct. 26 election, a vote . The opposition and the pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with neighboring Russia’s help and have .
Opposition protests gained new momentum after the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put the EU accession talks on hold.
Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rallies and beat scores of protesters, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital’s central boulevard. Hundreds have been detained and over 100 people have been treated for injuries since the start of the clashes.
Another 50 protesters were detained Friday night, Georgian officials said Saturday. Police chased demonstrators through the streets of Tbilisi until the early morning hours of Saturday and violently detained some of them.
The crackdown has drawn a strong condemnation from the United States. Speaking at a ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday denounced what he described as a brutal “repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe.”
On Saturday, Germany, France and Poland called on “Georgian Dream to deescalate tensions and open an inclusive dialogue with all political forces and representatives of civil society.”
“We underscore our determination to support the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people,” the statement said.
The ɫtv Press. All rights reserved.
For many Indigenous communities, access to financial services and economic opportu…
Trust in international money transfers has long been tied to physical places: a ba…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Tax: | |
| Today's total: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
