The European Union has called on the Georgian government to immediately and unconditionally release all persons it considers to be illegally detained and warned that those responsible for democratic backsliding and human rights violations may be held accountable.
The statement was made by EU Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra during a debate on Georgia in the European Parliament. Hoekstra noted that he was speaking on behalf of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
Hoekstra claimed that the European Union condemns political repression in Georgia, including actions targeting opposition leaders, journalists, and civil activists.
“The human rights situation in Georgia continues to deteriorate,” he said. “The Georgian government is deliberately leading the country toward autocracy and undermining fundamental democratic principles and international human rights standards.”
Hoekstra pointed to recently adopted legislation restricting foreign funding and political activity, as well as reports of violence against demonstrators and the detention of journalists, activists, and opposition figures. He claimed that these developments demonstrate a disregard for the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental freedoms.
“This is not what the European Union, and more importantly, what Georgians, expect from a government that still claims to aspire to EU membership,” he said.
The EU Commissioner warned that if the current political course continues, Georgia will have no realistic path toward joining the European Union.
“With such actions and such laws, Georgia truly has no viable path to EU membership; not by 2030, as the government claims, and not ever if this course continues,” Hoekstra stated.
He stressed that under international law Georgia has an obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights and fundamental freedoms, while noting that recent developments represent what he described as a systematic attack on democratic institutions and unjustified restrictions on civil rights.
Hoekstra also expressed the European Union’s solidarity with individuals who, according to him, have been detained or mistreated in recent years, including opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria.
“The European Union condemns political repression, including against opposition leaders, journalists, and civil activists, and calls on the government to immediately and unconditionally release all illegally detained persons,” he said.
Hoekstra also emphasized that torture and ill-treatment are strictly prohibited under international law and that impunity for violations committed by law enforcement must end.
He further called on the Georgian authorities to uphold the core principles of democracy, highlighting political pluralism as one of its essential components.
The EU Commissioner noted that the European Union remains ready to hold accountable those responsible for what he described as significant democratic backsliding and human rights violations in Georgia.
Hoekstra also recalled that the European Union recently decided to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, official, and service passports, describing the move as a response to what he called Georgia’s deliberate and persistent violations of commitments on democracy and fundamental rights undertaken when the country received visa-free travel with the EU.
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