“Regrettably, we have descended from the European Parliament’s founding fathers to such former communists as Rasa Juknevičienė,” declared Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of Parliament’s European Integration Committee.

According to Makhashvili, anyone genuinely interested in human rights could visit the former Khoni facility to see firsthand how human rights practices have evolved from the past to the present.

“Context matters. Marta Kos made this statement regarding the presence of Rasa Juknevičienė and her colleagues in Georgia. This brings to mind the proverb, “The fox brings its own tail as a witness.” (Implying a situation where someone is using a resource that is fundamentally unreliable to the situation at hand.) It’s quite ridiculous when Marta Kos comments on someone who snuck into Tbilisi, infiltrated several NGOs, participated in a rally funded by them, and then snuck into Brussels,” Makashvili stated.

“If anyone is interested in human rights, I can personally offer to host Marta Kos and Rasa Juknevičienė at the former Khoni facility with great respect, so they can see with their own eyes what human rights were like before and what they are today. They should also consider whether we should transfer Juknevičienė’s friend Saakashvili from a five-star medical facility to the former Khoni prison if they regard him as a moderniser and hero,” he added.

“Unfortunately, what we see in the European Parliament is smile-inducing. Regrettably, we have descended from the European Parliament’s founding fathers, from great thinkers to such former communists as Rasa Juknevičienė, who unfortunately represents the European Parliament in Georgia. Of course, the European Parliament is not Rasa, but she is the face of this parliament,” Makashvili declared.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos stated during her address at an extraordinary session of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee: “Georgia is a clear reminder that setbacks on the EU path can happen. The EU candidate status doesn’t automatically mean the way forward.”