International partners should apply sanctions not to the Georgian people, but to those individuals who serve the adoption of unconstitutional laws, repressions, and persecution of groups supporting Georgia’s European course, - reads the statement released by non-governmental organizations.

As noted in the statement, Georgian civil society will do everything to prevent this from happening.

As the NGOs state, visa liberalization is the achievement of the Georgian people, and not “the government that is currently working against the future of Georgia and in favor of Russian interests.”

“We respond to the statements of Ivanishvili’s senior officials, including representatives of the illegitimate parliament and government, regarding the possibility of ending visa-free travel with the European Union for Georgian citizens. These statements are outrageous and demonstrate: the Georgian Dream itself realizes that as a result of their actions and policies, Georgia’s European future is seriously threatened. That is why they are trying to justify to the public what they themselves are serving – to justify the destruction of Georgia’s European perspective.

At a time when Georgian civil society, in accordance with the people’s orders, has been fighting for years to achieve a European perspective, candidate status, and visa liberalization for Georgia, the Georgian Dream is deliberately putting these achievements at risk. The main thing for them is to maintain their own power, even at the cost of canceling visa liberalization.

On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly clear that the deterioration of relations with the European Union and the restriction of free movement of Georgians in Europe are not in the interests of the Georgian people, but of Russia and the Ivanishvili regime.

Our position is clear – international partners should direct sanctions not at the Georgian people, but at those individuals who serve the adoption of unconstitutional laws, repression, and persecution of groups supporting Georgia’s European course. However, it seems that the Georgian Dream, with its policies and anti-Western propaganda, is doing everything to ensure that the EU quickly makes a decision on the termination of visa liberalization, which will put the Georgian people in a difficult situation. The regime is trying to evade responsibility using propaganda methods. They know for sure that it will take many years to restore the abolition of visa-free travel.

Western partners have already abolished the visa-free regime for high-ranking officials of the Dream, including holders of diplomatic and service passports, and many have been directly banned from entering specific countries. Now Ivanishvili’s Dream wants the same fate for the Georgian people.

We, the Georgian civil society, will do everything to prevent this from happening. Visa liberalization is the achievement of the Georgian people! This is the result of the irreconcilable struggle of Georgian citizens with Russia, many years of great work and the Western choice, and not of the government that is currently working against the future of Georgia and in favor of Russian interests,” reads the statement signed by:

Transparency International - Georgia;

Human Rights Center (HRC);

Economic Policy Research Center;

Civil Movement for Freedom;

Open Space Caucasus;

Environmental Community Organization - ECO;

European Orbit of Georgia;

Scientific and Intellectual Club - Dialogue of Generations;

Prevention for Progress;

Kvareli Euroclub;

Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI);

Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies;

Europe Foundation;

Rule of Law Center;

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy;

Georgian Reforms’ Associates (GRASS);

Hangi Association for the Integration and Development of Persons with Disabilities;

Civil Solidarity Foundation;

Guardians of Democracy;

Europe-Georgia Institute (EGI);

Sapari;

Georgian Court Watch;

Civil Society Foundation.