Four opposition parties: Alain Berset's press conference contained messages that do not serve to defuse the crisis, but on the contrary, aggravate the situation in the country and incite violence by Georgian Dream

Alain Berset's concluding press conference contained messages that do not serve to defuse the crisis, but on the contrary, aggravate the situation in the country and incite violence by Georgian Dream, - reads the joint statement of the four opposition parties that have crossed barriers, with which they respond to the visit of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to Tbilisi.

In the address, the opposition politicians call on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Committee of Ministers to raise for discussion the issue of the integrity of Alain Berset's actions during his visit to Georgia and their compliance with the founding principles of the Council of Europe.

“The visit of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to Georgia on 18-20 December took place against the backdrop of the most serious systemic political crisis in the country, which is caused by the usurpation of power by Georgian Dream through electoral fraud, the complete collapse of democratic institutions and the deliberate sabotage of Georgia’s European perspective.

In response to the continuous, fair protests of Georgian citizens, the authorities have in every way violated fundamental human rights, including the absolute and inviolable right to prohibit torture, have physically abused and are illegally detaining hundreds of Georgian citizens; they are using criminal, informal groups to intimidate citizens and inflict physical punishment on them.

In addition, the illegitimate Georgian parliament hastily adopted legislative amendments that finally establish an authoritarian dictatorship in the country and further strengthen the legal mechanisms necessary for a repressive regime.

Despite the clear statement of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe at the concluding press conference that his visit to Georgia does not serve to legitimize the elections, which in itself is important for exposing the Russian propaganda of Georgian Dream, we believe that his visit at such a time and the content of the concluding statement were essentially irresponsible and do not correspond to the spirit of the Council of Europe, the principles and values ​​of this institution. This is completely out of touch with the dire situation that exists in Georgia today and raises legitimate questions regarding the real motives of this visit.

Alain Berset's concluding press conference contained messages that do not serve to defuse the crisis, but on the contrary, aggravate the situation in the country and incite violence from the Georgian Dream.

In this extreme situation, it is completely unacceptable and inappropriate to talk about any attempt to make any legislative changes to the so-called “Russian law” and “ennoble” it, or to create any type of working group for this purpose under the conditions of an illegitimate parliament and government. The aforementioned law, as well as other anti-democratic and anti-European legislative changes adopted by the Georgian Dream, are not subject to any correction and should simply be repealed immediately after the change of government.

The Secretary General received quite detailed explanations on the above issues during his meetings with political parties. Despite this, he has voiced completely contextless and irresponsible messages, which raise logical doubts about his integrity.

We, the political parties and coalitions of Georgia, express our deep respect for the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, fully sharing its fundamental values, including the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. We are ready to cooperate with the institutions of the Council in order to protect these fundamental values, including in the process of overcoming the current crisis in the country. This should be based on the unconditional and immediate release of illegally detained persons and guarantees for holding new elections in a fair and competitive environment.

We call on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Committee of Ministers to raise the issue of the integrity of Alain Berset's actions during his visit to Georgia and their compliance with the founding principles of the Council of Europe at the public debates to be held in January," reads the statement.