Finland’s FM: Georgia has more political prisoners per capita than Russia – not European path that Georgian people have chosen

“ I’m just freshly back from the South Caucasus. Unfortunately, what I see in Georgia is also very, very worrying,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen made the statement ahead of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

She stated that, on a per capita basis, Georgia has more political prisoners than Russia.

“ I’m just freshly back from the South Caucasus. Unfortunately, what I see in Georgia is also very, very worrying. The repression of the normal people on the street is quite something we cannot accept. Georgia has more political prisoners per capita than Russia, which sends a very strong signal to all of. Obviously, this is not the European path, but this is not the path that the Georgian people have chosen. So, we need to be strong also in this regard,” the Foreign Minister of Finland has stated.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council is convening in Luxembourg today, chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. The primary topics on the agenda for the EU foreign ministers include the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, developments in Moldova, the EU’s relations with the Indo-Pacific region, and the situation in Sudan. A press conference will be held at the conclusion of the meeting, scheduled for 16:45 Tbilisi time.