"We demand the immediate release of all victims of politically motivated persecution in Georgia," stated Edite Estrela (Portugal) and Sabine Čudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Georgia, in a statement.

"We join the call made by representatives of all political groups during yesterday’s debates in the Assembly for the immediate release of all individuals who are victims of politically motivated persecution in Georgia. This persecution and the misuse of judicial procedures to silence the opposition and dissenting voices must end. They are incompatible with a democratic society," the rapporteurs declared.

The statement also notes that the rapporteurs plan to conduct a "fact-finding visit" to Georgia in the fall of this year, as part of their efforts to "reverse the democratic backsliding in Georgia" and to "engage in open dialogue with all actors in the country" to ensure full respect for Georgia’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe.