Chairman Wilson and Ranking Member Cohen Express The...

WASHINGTON-Today, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) issued the following statement expressing their solidarity with the Georgian people as they continue to peacefully protest to save their democracy and European future in the face of violent government repression:

"On Thursday, Georgians took to the streets in Tbilisi and across the country to speak out against the Georgian Dream (GD) party's stated decision to suspend European Union accession. Those peaceful protests were met with extreme violence. We condemn this response in the harshest terms possible.

"There is a compelling body of evidence showing that the Georgian Dream government manipulated the country's October elections to preserve their grip on power and again deny the Georgian people's unequivocal aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration. Earlier this week, GD seated a new government amid a full opposition boycott and without presidential sanction, in contravention of Georgia's constitution. Thus, this de-facto government is illegitimate.

"We stand with the Georgian people and call on both the current and incoming administrations to commit to supporting Georgians in their fight to restore democracy and freedom to their country. The U.S. State Department must take steps to punish those responsible for violating Georgians' right to protest peacefully and elect their leaders."

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