We condemn the detentions of opposition leaders, which are taking place as a result of disproportionate legal procedures, – said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
According to Elina Valtonen, serious issues were also raised during the meeting, including “restrictive legislation” affecting civil society, media representatives and journalists, and issues related to democratic governance.
According to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, freedom of expression and assembly in Georgia is under question.
“I would like to thank my Georgian colleague, Ms. Maka, for the warm welcome in Tbilisi as the representative of the OSCE Chairperson -in-Office. The OSCE appreciates Georgia’s continued engagement in the Geneva international discussions on the Incident Containment and Prevention Mechanism. It is important for us to continue active cooperation and participation in this process, which will allow us to ensure border security. We see potential for more work in this direction and the capacity of border security. The OSCE stands ready to provide expert assistance together with the OSCE Monitoring Mission. We believe that reconciliation is a very important element in the future peace-building process. We urge you to do more in this direction.
During our meeting, I also raised serious concerns that the participating States have within the OSCE and that our institutions have regarding the local situation, including restrictive legislation affecting civil society, media representatives and journalists, and the issues related to democratic governance, recent events and developments that restrict the activities of non-governmental organizations. We also condemn the detentions of opposition leaders, which are the result of disproportionate legal procedures. Freedom of expression and assembly are under question. Civil society is not a threat to stability; on the contrary, NGOs, human rights organizations, journalists and many others are an integral part of democratic resilience. They promote innovation and their voices must not only be heard but also protected. That is why the visit to Georgia is focused on engaging with civil society. It is very important that in any democratic system, people are given the right to choose, and this is also the case in Georgia. The people of Georgia are choosing the future they want.
The people of Georgia deserve to have their human rights, freedom of expression and the principles of freedoms protected. The Government of Georgia must find a way out of this crisis, to rebuild trust, to strengthen democratic institutions. Our agencies are ready to support Georgia in fulfilling its relevant obligations on the basis of our shared principles, which are defined in the Helsinki Final Act,” said Elina Valtonen.
Elina Valtonen: We condemn the detentions of opposition leaders, which are the result of disproportionate legal procedures, freedom of expression and assembly is under question – the Georgian government must find a way out of the crisis
