Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset visits Georgia Keystone-SDA

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Switzerland's Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.

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The Council of Europe announced this on Tuesday evening.

The aim of the visit is to “ensure the conditions for continued cooperation between the Council of Europe and Georgia in full compliance with the values and principles of the organisation”, according to the Council’s website.

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In view of a “political and social environment characterised by strong tensions”, an “extreme polarisation of the political debate” and acts of violence in recent weeks, the Council of Europe called on the Georgian authorities to “refrain from the disproportionate use of force and to respect fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and assembly”.

More than 400 arrests

In Georgia, pro-European demonstrators have been taking to the streets against the pro-Moscow government on a daily basis for more than two weeks. Violence is a frequent occurrence. The police repeatedly use tear gas and water cannon against the demonstrators, and more than 400 people have been arrested since the start of the latest wave of protests.

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The situation in the country has been very tense since the parliamentary elections on October 26. According to the official election results, the ruling Georgian Dream party won a clear majority. However, the opposition accuses it of electoral fraud. It accuses the government of the former Soviet republic of wanting to move Georgia closer to Russia and away from the EU.

Berset telephoned the head of government several times

According to the Council of Europe, Berset has had several telephone conversations with the Georgian head of government Irakli Kobakhidze, as well as with the pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili. According to the report, he will meet opposition members during his visit.

Forty-six countries belong to the Council of Europe. The international organisation based in Strasbourg is committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law and is independent of the European Union. Its members have committed themselves to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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