The Georgian people deserve a government that respects their right to democratically elect their leaders. This was stated in the statement of the US Helsinki Committee.
The signatories of the statement are the Chairman of the Helsinki Committee, Congressman Joe Wilson (Republican Party), Congressman Steve Cohen (Democratic Party), Richard Hudson (Republican Party), Congressman Mark Wise (Democratic Party) and the US Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs Assistant, Daphne Rand.
According to the statement, the authoritarian trajectory of the Georgian government endangers the country's democratic future and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
"Over the past few decades, the people of Georgia have demonstrated their commitment to democracy and the rule of law. The Georgian people deserve a government that respects their right to democratically elect their leaders, the Georgian government must honor its commitment to its country and people by holding free and fair elections monitored by independent election observers, [and] allowing political opposition, as has been the case for years . The government's authoritarian trajectory threatens the democratic future of Georgia and the deep-seated Euro-Atlantic aspirations of its people," the statement said.
The statement also notes that in September, the US State Department announced a wide range of accountability measures against Georgian government officials and others who have undermined Georgia's democracy and human rights.
"In May, the leaders of the Helsinki Commission presented the "Friendly Act" - a bipartisan bill whose purpose is to strengthen democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Georgia; which once again confirms the commitment of the United States to support Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration and to resist the influence of authoritarian regimes, especially Russia. The bill was bipartisanly approved in the Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives and now awaits approval in the House of Representatives," the statement said.
