Georgia's de facto government has dismantled any pretense of democracy and has begun arresting innocent activists and peaceful members of the opposition in their homes and workplaces. Make no mistake: "Georgian Dream" uses Kremlin-style dictatorial tactics, - this is stated in the statement of the chairman of the US Helsinki Commission, Joe Wilson.

"The US government must immediately punish those who are involved in violence and brutality against innocent Georgians. If we don't act now, the Georgian Dream will continue to escalate its campaign of violence and brutality to levels not seen in the country in decades," Wilson said.

He calls on the US State Department to impose sanctions against Georgian government officials.

"The State Department should begin by issuing personal sanctions against the Mayor of Tbilisi, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and all other officials responsible for organizing this crackdown." I call on our European allies to do the same," the statement said.