Estonia has imposed sanctions on pro-Russian Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. 13 other Georgian officials and judges have also been sanctioned.
Points of attention
- Estonia has imposed sanctions against pro-Russian Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and 13 Georgian officials and judges over the violent dispersal of protests and violence against protesters.
- The Estonian Foreign Minister called on the European Union to respond to the situation in Georgia and take concrete measures against those who violate democracy and use violence.
- The scandalous presidential election in Georgia has caused a wave of indignation among political forces, as the inauguration of the new president is scheduled for December 29 of this year.
- Representatives of the pro-government Georgian Dream party announced the election of a new "president" without an adequate competition, which exacerbated the political crisis in the country.
What is known about Estonia's sanctions against Georgian officials
As noted, Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna signed a directive on the basis of which Estonia imposed sanctions against 14 high-ranking Georgian officials and judges.
They were banned from entering Estonia.
The sanctions were imposed due to the violent dispersal of protests and violence against protesters, journalists, and opposition leaders.
"I call on all European Union countries to respond to what is happening in Georgia and take concrete measures against those who use unjustified force and brutal violence against the people of Georgia and undermine democracy," the Foreign Minister noted.
Before that, Estonia imposed sanctions against 11 representatives of the Georgian authorities.
What is known about the scandalous presidential election in Georgia?
In particular, the new “president” was elected by members of the electoral college, the absolute majority of whom were representatives of the pro-government “Georgian Dream” party.
The former football player, a representative of the "People's Power" party, was the only candidate.
Georgian Dream announced that the inauguration of the new president will take place on December 29 of this year.
Political forces that entered parliament following the election results but refused their parliamentary mandates made a joint appeal to the EU.
The letter is addressed to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kai Kallas, and to the foreign ministers of the EU member states.
The appeal states that Georgia is facing an unprecedented political crisis that requires immediate action from the European Union.
It is noted that the election of Mikhail Kavelashvili as the sixth president of Georgia worsens an already difficult situation. The authors of the appeal recall that Kavelashvili was one of the initiators of the law on foreign agents and is often engaged in active anti-Western propaganda. And after being elected by the "self-proclaimed and illegitimate parliament", he will allegedly have neither independence nor legitimacy.
The authors of the joint statement emphasize that the Georgian people are “courageously resisting Russia-backed authoritarianism, fighting for their democratic European future.” And EU support is crucial to success.
The letter was signed by Nika Melia (Coalition for Change), Tina Bokuchava (Unity — National Movement), Mamuka Khazaradze (Strong Georgia), and Zaza Tavadze (Gakharia for Georgia).
