European Commission Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anita Hipper has sharply criticized the Georgian government, stating that it is “building a highly repressive regime.”
Responding to a question from Euroscope editor Tamar Nutsibidze regarding the daily arrests of peaceful protesters and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili’s remarks blaming the EU Ambassador and Finland’s Foreign Minister for these arrests, Hipper said:
“I think the best thing for the Georgian authorities is to look in the mirror and face reality — the reality that they are building a highly repressive regime directed against peaceful people, the media, and journalists. When you are confident in your democracy and your behavior, you do not feel the need to arrest your opponents or innocent people.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the European Commission condemns all forms of violence and urged the Georgian authorities to return to dialogue with their citizens.
“We call on the authorities to return to dialogue with their own society and to ensure that this violence does not escalate further,” she said.
