U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement in response to the de-facto Georgian government’s crackdown against Georgian activists, protestors, and members of the opposition:
“The de-facto Georgian government has shed all pretense of democracy and has now started arresting innocent activists and peaceful members of the opposition in their homes and places of work. Make no mistake: Georgian Dream is using Kremlin-style dictatorial tactics.
The U.S. government must respond to punish those involved in perpetrating violence and brutality against innocent Georgians immediately. If we do not act now, Georgian Dream will continue escalating their campaign of violence and brutality to levels we have not seen in the country in decades.
The Department of State should begin by announcing personal sanctions against the mayor of Tbilisi, the Minister of the Interior, and all other officials responsible for orchestrating this crackdown. I call on our European allies to do the same,” reads the statement.
