The U.S. Helsinki Commission has strongly criticized the Georgian government, accusing it of targeting individuals who advocate for democracy and urging the release of all political prisoners.
“After 200 days of continuous peaceful protests, Georgia’s de facto government is attacking anyone who dares to fight for democracy. This is yet another example,” the Commission stated, referring to the recent detention of Giorgi Bachiashvili, the former head of the Co-Investment Fund.
The Commission’s comments came in response to a post by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who described Bachiashvili’s detention as ‘a blow to democracy.’ Shaheen said the Georgian Dream government’s tactics are becoming ‘increasingly despicable’ and referred to the case as an ‘abduction.’
In its statement, the U.S. Helsinki Commission reiterated its demand that “the Georgian Dream government must immediately release all political prisoners.”
