**US Lawmakers Call on Portugal to Block Visas for Georgian Officials**
The U.S. Congress and European parliamentarians have joined forces to urge the Portuguese government to deny visas to Georgian officials planning to attend a meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in June.
The lawmakers are concerned that the Georgian Dream government, which has been in power since 2012, is undermining democracy in Georgia. They point out that the government has engaged in widespread electoral fraud, violently suppressed peaceful protests, and imprisoned journalists and civic activists critical of its rule.
In a letter to Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, U.S. lawmakers Joe Wilson and Steve Cohen, along with several European colleagues, called on Portugal to prevent the participation of Georgian Dream officials at the OSCE meeting. They argued that granting them visas would legitimize their repressive governance and provide them with a platform they do not deserve.
The letter stated that the actions of the Georgian Dream government are in direct contradiction to the democratic values that Portugal and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly seek to promote and defend. The lawmakers emphasized that denying visas to Georgian Dream officials would be a firm stance against authoritarianism and send a message to those fighting for democracy in Georgia and beyond.
**Background: International Concern Over Georgia’s Political Trajectory**
The appeal from lawmakers comes amid mounting international concern over Georgia’s political trajectory. In response to the violent dispersal of mass protests in November and December 2024, the European Union suspended parts of its visa facilitation agreement with Georgia. The Council of the EU also voted to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders.
The US lawmakers’ move is seen as a further sign of international pressure on the Georgian government to address concerns over human rights and democratic freedoms.
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