“Approximately 400 people have been arrested at different times, about 50 of those arrested are still in prison today. The photos and videos taken over the past 125 days of the protests clearly show that they have been entirely peaceful. Thus, it is very difficult to uphold these accusations, but they persist because we no longer have a functioning justice system in Georgia,” the former President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament.

During her speech, Zourabichvili spoke about the current situation in Georgia and noted that some of those detained during the protests remain in prison, facing sentences ranging from 7 to 11 years.

“First of all, thank you very much for your invitation to attend the committee. I would have been glad to attend in person, which allows for more direct interaction, if it were not for the current situation, which brings new repressive laws in Georgia every day. Currently, political leaders from some of the pro-European parties involved in the coordination we have established have been summoned to the prosecutor’s office with criminal charges, allegedly for not participating in an investigation from parliament. This is clearly part of the political struggle against civil society, political parties, and political leaders, as well as the protest movement. To provide context, we had elections last October that were widely recognized by observers as manipulated. As time goes on, we continue to uncover details that confirm the extent of this sophisticated manipulation operation, clearly inspired and supported by Russian methods. As a consequence of these elections, the political parties declined to enter parliament, which they do not consider legitimate. The parliament convened in a non-constitutional manner, contrary to the constitution. Shortly after the election, less than one month later, the Prime Minister also declared the elections illegitimate and announced the suspension of discussions regarding Georgia’s European path with the European Union. Both the manipulation of the elections and the Prime Minister’s statement triggered a massive protest movement in Georgia that continues to this day. For instance, yesterday marked the anniversary of March 31, 1991, when more than 90% of voters expressed their recognition of and demand for independence. This date was significant, and we witnessed a massive protest that drew thousands of people,” Zourabichvili stated.

According to Salome Zourabichvili, the protests continue in different parts of the country and cover different segments of the country, because, “practically everyone is, in one way or another, under the repressive laws.”

“The situation involves not only the manipulation of elections but also the announcement of halting our European path, which is supported by more than 80% of the population. For the past 30 years, in all opinion polls and votes, we have seen a rapid continuation and acceleration of the events that began last year. You may have heard about the Russian law, which is a copy of what Russia has done to suppress civil society. In Georgia, this process is advancing extremely quickly, with new laws emerging almost every other day that mirror those used in Russia, employing similar methods of repression and violence. People are being assaulted in the streets and taken from their homes and subways. Many then disappear, only to reappear in police stations or jails. Approximately 400 people have been arrested at different times, some for administrative offenses and others for criminal charges, despite the fact that this protest has been entirely peaceful. None of the demands made were violent, nor were any actions taken that could be considered so. About 50 of those arrested are still in prison today, facing criminal charges ranging from seven to eleven years for actions that no one clearly understands. Some are accused of group violence or resisting police actions, among other charges. Overall, they are being treated like criminals, despite being well-known members of society, including young artists and musicians. The photos and videos taken over the past 125 days of the protests clearly show that they have been entirely peaceful. Thus, it is very difficult to uphold these accusations, but they persist because we no longer have a functioning justice system in Georgia,” Zourabichvili declared.