U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, serving as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have issued a joint statement marking the one-year anniversary of protests in Georgia that began after the government suspended its process for joining the European Union.
The senators expressed concern over what they described as declining political freedoms in Georgia since those events. According to their statement: “One year ago today Georgia entered a dark new chapter in its modern history. After promising to continue Georgia’s European integration during its campaign—supported by the vast majority of the Georgian people—the government reversed its position and violated its constitutional obligation. In response, Georgians took to the streets to demand change and demonstrate against the government’s failure to listen to its voters.”
They further noted that over the past year, rather than addressing public concerns or working with opposition parties, “the Georgian government instead took unprecedented steps to suppress them by passing authoritarian laws, imprisoning and moving to ban the political opposition, intimidating civil society leaders, and maligning the United States and its embassy personnel.”
The statement also addressed recent increases in political violence: “As political violence in Georgia has escalated, we have been increasingly concerned by the Georgian government’s crackdown on its own people and commend their perseverance in confronting it. And as Americans, we admire the Georgian people’s refusal to let go of their freedoms, no matter the cost.”
Risch and Shaheen concluded by emphasizing their longstanding interest in Georgia’s development: “As close friends of Georgia, we have watched these political developments in Georgia for years, and are deeply invested in the country’s success. The Georgian people deserve leadership that respects their right to determine their country’s future. On this somber anniversary, we call on the government to immediately reverse course, restore political freedoms in Georgia, and recommit to democratic governance.”
