On December 5, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted a Resolution on Georgia which said that the Seimas strongly supported the legitimate European aspirations of the people of Georgia and their desire to live in a prosperous democratic country.
Based on the resolution, the Lithuanian Parliament has strongly condemned the violence of the Georgian Government against peaceful protesters in Tbilisi and elsewhere in the country, the intimidation and illegal detention of civil society and media representatives, and the systematic dissemination of disinformation narratives of Russian propaganda by officials of the ruling party and pro-government media to influence democratic processes in the country.
The Seimas Resolution was adopted by 109 votes in favour with one vote against.
In its Resolution, the Seimas calls on the EU and its Member States to impose personal sanctions on Georgian officials and political leaders directly or indirectly responsible for the violent repression of the country’s civilian population; to limit official contacts at the EU level with the Georgian Government and Parliament; to suspend financial support to the Georgian Government and authorities; and to accordingly increase support for Georgian civil society and free media.
“In view of the extent of violations, such as the falsification of ballot papers, the restriction of the free will of voters, and interference in the activities of and undermining of the independence of election observers and the media, the Seimas concluded that the Georgian parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 had failed to meet the international standards for democratic elections and should therefore be considered neither free nor fair. The Seimas Resolution expresses support to the call of the European Parliament for new parliamentary elections to be held in Georgia.
The Seimas Resolution also supports the call for an independent and transparent international investigation into allegations of electoral manipulation, voter intimidation and systemic irregularities, which are reported to have taken place during the pre-election period and on the day of elections in Georgia. The document welcomes the decision of the European External Action Service (EEAS) to send a mission to Georgia in order to properly and comprehensively assess the violations.
The Seimas stressed that it will continue to support the aspirations of the Georgian people for EU integration, although progress on this path remains suspended until the main problems related to the fundamental criteria of EU enlargement are resolved.
The Georgian parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 were marred by significant irregularities, numerous documented reports on vote manipulation, suppression of electoral freedoms, vote-buying cases, harassment of observers and media representatives, intimidation of voters inside and outside polling stations, voter tracking and confiscation of identity documents in rural areas, followed by handing them over to loyal activists of the ruling party for voting purposes, organised voter transport, hate speech, lack of access for Georgian citizens to participation in elections abroad, and incredible differences in voter turnout between women and men in rural areas.
On 28 October, protests over electoral fraud and the suspension of Georgia’s European integration aspirations began in Tbilisi. Protesters in their thousands took to the streets to challenge the legitimacy of the victory declared by the ruling party. The police forcibly dispersed the demonstrations, using disproportionate violence against peaceful protesters and journalists, as well as opposition representatives,” reads the Resolution.
