Street protests in Georgia have recently turned violent, with Georgian Dream (GD) party leaders unleashing masked thugs and brutalizing peaceful demonstrators. Ta. If left unchecked, the consequences could be fatal.
Western countries could do more to support Georgians protesting GD's authoritarian rule and refusal to expand ties with the European Union.
Last month, I traveled to Georgia with a research team to examine the situation following the flawed October 26th parliamentary elections.McCain Instituteour group met with various civil society and political leaders, journalists and diplomats, and the GD-led Central Election Commission.
We also spoke to young protesters who were beaten by masked people.Titushky” The police were waiting. Titushky was named after a thug hired by then-President Viktor Yanukovych a decade ago to fight back against Ukraine.MaidanProtesters rose up and many were killed. Yanukovych failed and eventually fled to Russia.
One young man told us: “Titushky beat me and then threatened to rape me… They put my hood over my face and beat me. After a while my face becomes paralyzed.”
He continued: “I lost consciousness. The man next to me had a panic attack and I tried to calm him down. I hit my head and lost consciousness again. I woke up. There was blood all over my hood. Probably thinking I might die, Titaschiki turned me over to the police. They created a false arrest warrant.”
In the end, he “suffered a concussion and a broken nose. Many others suffered much worse injuries.”
The cycle of violence began with dissatisfaction with the election. Georgia Dream massively orchestratedVoting fraud. Reliable exit polls found that more than 8 percent of the votes cast could not be explained by statistical variance.
They also competed smartly. It framed the vote as a choice between:peace'', comparing the risks posed by friendly relations with Russia with the risk of a “war'' like the one in Ukraine if a pro-European opposition party were to come to power. Russian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili funds GD and is pulling the strings.
On 28 November, the European Parliament stated:important'' He pointed out electoral fraud and called for a new vote to be held under international supervision. Hours later, GD said Georgia would do so.hangConsult with the EU regarding accession.
The move came as a shock to many Georgians, even though the EU started its accession process in June last year.pending. This came after GD promoted the new Russian style.foreign agentA law designed to suppress freedom. The adoption of this law in Georgia sparked a wave of street protests.
The current protests are of a scale and intensity not seen since Georgia regained independence in 1991 and stem from anger over the GD's sudden authoritarian turn and public support for EU membership. There is.— 4/5It has the support of Georgians.
New anti-Western “” installed by GD on December 29thpresident” Mikhail Kevalishvili could further incite the protests. respected presidentSalome ZurabishviliHis term has just expired and he is marching with protesters.
December 13th, French President Emmanuel MacronpraisedHe said Georgia was Europe's choice and its betrayal was “unacceptable”. The EU has powerful influence.visa free travelFor short-term stays by Georgians within the Schengen area. The EU is temporarily consideringPausedThis privilege.
December 12th, USAprohibited visasIssued to approximately 20 Georgians.
Many of our interlocutors in Tbilisi advocated for the United States to impose stronger sanctions.financial sanctionsIn Ivanishvili. On December 27, the United States did so. He will not be able to buy or sell U.S. financial assets or access other U.S. financial services, and he and his family will not be able to travel to the United States. Other GD leaders may be at risk of sanctions.
Sanctions can significantly increase the cost of fraud. But they are not a panacea. As the sanctions imposed on Russians over the Ukraine war show, even harsh penalties may not reverse bad behavior. Western countries should also consider their interest in cooperating with Georgian authorities on issues such as law enforcement and counterterrorism.
Other international actions may also be important. Investors and lenders may be more wary of countries whose top leaders are under sanctions. united nationsHigh Commissioner for Human RightsIt could investigate the excessive torture of protesters in Belarus in 2020.international criminal courtThere is also a possibility that an investigation will be required, as in Belarus.
Georgians decide their own destiny. But their hopes are so closely tied to those of the West that the United States and Europe want to help Georgians maintain their sovereignty and secure their democracy and Europe's future.
William Courtney is a non-resident senior fellow at the RAND Corporation, a nonpartisan nonprofit research organization, a former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia, and a former senior advisor to the Helsinki Commission.
