Zurab Japaridze refuses to meet CoE Secretary General
Zurab Japaridze refuses to meet CoE Secretary General

Zurab Japaridze, a member of the Coalition for Change, has announced on social media that he will not meet with Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, during his visit to Georgia.

Japaridze emphasized that visitors, particularly those with a mandate for human rights, should focus on understanding the situation of citizens impacted by recent protests.

He stated, “Any representative of any organization arriving here today: a) should meet the wounded and hear their stories; b) should visit the prison, meet the political prisoners, and hear their stories; c) should walk along Rustaveli Street at least once in the evening and speak to the people standing in the cold.

This is especially necessary for representatives of institutions focused on human rights, particularly when they stay for several days rather than just a few hours”.

He criticized the meeting of Berset with Irakli Kobakhidze and expressed willingness to meet Berset in Strasbourg, should he wish to do so.

Elene Khoshtaria, another leader of the Coalition for Change, made a similar statement today.