June 6 () –
The United States announced this Thursday visa restrictions against deputies of the ruling party in Georgia, Georgian Dream, members of Parliament, law enforcement and other citizens for “undermining democracy” in the country.
“We remain hopeful that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider their actions and take steps to advance their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference.
In this sense, he has warned that if they do not reverse their actions – undermining the freedoms of assembly and association, “violently” attacking peaceful protesters, intimidating representatives of civil society or spreading disinformation – “the United States is prepared to take additional measures”.
Miller has not specified who those sanctioned are because visa records are confidential,” but has detailed that there are “between two and three dozen.” “I want to emphasize that this is a first tranche (of sanctions),” he added.
This comes after the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, on Monday promulgated the foreign agents law, questioned by the opposition and international institutions such as the European Union.
The opposition considers that the reform replicates in Georgia the restrictions that are already applied in Russia and that have made it easier for Vladimir Putin’s government to persecute dissent under the excuse of an alleged need for financial transparency.
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