**Georgian Parliament Research Center to Be Shut Down, Employees Claim**
The Georgian Parliament Research Center is set to be closed down, according to a joint statement released by five of its employees. They claim that the decision was made in retaliation for their public criticism of the government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks until 2028.
The employees – Salome Natroshvili, Mariam Chachua, and Nini Lezhava – were informed of the decision by the center’s director, Ekaterine Kardava. They alleged that this move was a form of repression against conscientious public sector employees and an attempt to instill fear among current public sector employees.
The five employees signed a joint statement criticizing the government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks and condemning violence against peaceful protesters. They described the move as “another manifestation of repression” and emphasized their commitment to defending their rights and those of their colleagues through legal channels.
**Impact on Staff**
The closure of the Research Center will affect 20 employees who will all lose their jobs. The employees claim that there had been no discussion about reorganizing or closing the center until today. They point out that if five people were a threat to the system, they could have persecuted just them, but instead, the decision affected everyone.
**Background**
The move comes amidst growing tensions following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement to suspend Georgia’s EU integration process until 2028. The decision sparked backlash among public servants, with hundreds of civil servants from various state agencies making statements against the government’s U-turn.
In December, employees from the Ministries of Defense, Education, and Foreign Affairs also raised their voices and issued statements against GD’s position and condemned violence during the dispersal of protests. The adoption of amendments to the “Law on Public Service” in late December 2024 has been heavily criticized by civil society organizations, who argued that it simplifies the reorganization process and makes it easier to use as a tool for political purges.
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