Georgia has more political prisoners per capita than Russia, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said ahead of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, calling the situation in the country deeply concerning.
“I have just returned from the South Caucasus, and unfortunately, what I have seen in Georgia is very, very worrying,” Valtonen told reporters. “Repression on the streets against ordinary people is unacceptable. Georgia has more political prisoners per capita than Russia, which sends a very strong signal to all of us.”
Valtonen says the Georgian government’s current direction is not aligned with European values:
“Of course, this is not a European path — but it is also not the path the Georgian people have chosen. We must remain firm in this regard,” she said.
