Coalition for Change appeals to UK, U.S. with open letter

The Coalition for Change appealed to the United Kingdom and the United States with an open letter, which states that Georgia is facing a political crisis within the country, which represents a moral test for the entire democratic world.

The authors of the letter call on Western partners to take decisive steps. The measures include the following:

1. Imposition of personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, so-called Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and all de facto officials, who are responsible for political persecution, court manipulations and collaboration with Russia.

2. Adoption of the MEGOBARI Act by the U.S. Senate as a strong signal to the Georgian people in support of their pro-Western and Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations.

3. Suspension of all political and financial engagement with the regime until political prisoners are released, repression stops and constitutional order is restored.

4. Recognition of Georgia’s democratic opposition, civil society, and President Salome Zurabishvili as legitimate representatives of the European will of the Georgian people.

“Georgia’s place in Europe, Europe cannot open its door to a Russia-ruled autocracy. What is happening in Tbilisi today will have a significant effect beyond its borders tomorrow.

The fate of freedom in the Black Sea region and the moral strength of the democratic world now depend on whether our common principles will protect us with the strength they deserve,” reads the letter.