BUDAPEST — Mass protests in Georgia are about to enter their third week, with thousands of Georgians taking to the streets to demonstrate against the recent decision by Tbilisi to put EU accession talks on hold.
Protesters vowed to continue to demonstrate for as long as it takes until their demands are met, despite the intensifying violent nature of the clashes.
Police have resorted to more heavy-handed tactics in an attempt to clamp down on the unrest, such as the use of water cannons and tear gas. They have detained more than 300 protesters so far, including opposition leaders and activists, while more than 100 people were treated for injuries.
On Tuesday, Georgia’s public ombudsman described the violence as torture and brutality, accusing the police of using excessive force against the demonstrators.
“The location, character, and degree of the injuries create a credible impression that the police use violent methods against citizens in order to punish them. Intentional, severe violence for the purpose of punishment constitutes an act of torture,” he said.
Volker Türk, the UN’s top human rights official, has called the use of force against protesters “extremely worrying”.
In an exclusive interview with Euronews in Budapest, Georgia’s new Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili justified the police crackdown on pro-European protesters by pointing to the actions of violent groups among the demonstrators who specifically target the police.
Botchorishvili emphasised that everyone has the right to protest, but that these protests must stay peaceful.
“Unfortunately, I have to say that we cannot really call this protest necessarily peaceful because the violent groups that were acting with the fireworks and their target was police forces,” the foreign minister said.
She added that 200 police officers were injured so far, some critically.
“But on the other hand, if there is anything when we see that the police are exerting their limits of reaction, of course, there should be a reaction from relevant bodies. And there is a very clear statement from the prime minister that these kind of actions should be investigated.”
At the end of November, the ruling Georgian Dream party put Georgia’s European Union integration process and its negotiations on hold until 2028, triggering mass protests as the Georgian public is largely in favour of joining the EU.
The decision to pause accession talks came after the European Parliament adopted a resolution critical of the result of October’s election, voicing concern over Georgia’s “democratic backsliding”. In the election, the ruling party had secured a parliamentary majority.
Tbilisi formally applied for EU membership in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They were granted EU candidate status in December of the following year, to the delight of many Georgians who celebrated on the streets of Tbilisi.
The process was stopped this summer by the European Council, after EU leaders expressed concerns regarding recent developments in Georgia, particularly its controversial foreign influence law, dubbed the “transparency law” by the Georgian government.
The law was criticised by EU critics and was compared to a similar law in Russia. Foreign Minister Botchorishvili rejected the notion that her government was turning away from the EU and tilting more towards Moscow.
The minister said the situation is not “black or white”, and said, “If somebody wants to make an easy negative impression about somebody, it is easier to claim that somebody is pro-Russian or pro-Putin.”
“Georgian Dream party has been in power for 12 years now. And in this period, nobody can find anything that this government has done in favour of Russia,” Botchorishvili said.
She reiterated that Georgia has a clear policy on its support for Ukraine, and emphasised that the government signed the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014, which aimed to deepen its economic and political ties to the EU. Botchorishvili said that for the past ten years, Georgia has shown its “commitment” and “shared values” with its European partners.
You can watch the full interview with Maka Botchorishvili, where she further discusses Georgia’s protests, EU accession talks as well as the challenges the government will face moving forward, as of Friday in our programme The Europe Conversation. — Euronews