Prepared by Messenger Staff
Tsqitishvili from Gakharia's Party For Georgia: Entering Parliament Now Would Be a Big Mistake
"Entering this parliament today would be a big mistake, and I hope that For Georgia will not make this decision," said Dimitri Tsqitishvili, a member of the party, on the Palitranews program 360 Degrees. His remarks responded to party founder and leader Giorgi Gakharia's statement that giving up parliamentary mandates had been a mistake.
According to Tsqitishvili, if the goal is to defeat the regime, cohabiting with it is not the correct way to achieve that.
"The European Parliament report also notes that the authorities will use these [local] elections to legitimize the status quo. I described it the same way - everyone who facilitates this participates in legitimizing the status quo. I do not take back my words; they remain valid, and unfortunately, they are becoming more and more evident.
Even if giving up mandates was once considered the right choice, today, entering this parliament and participating in its work would clearly be a very big mistake. I hope that decision will not be taken. However, I believe it is premature to talk about this now, as there has been no concrete indication - only a discussion about not ruling out the possibility. I hope such a mistake will not be made.
If the goal is to fight the regime, then entering parliament in this way is not the path to defeat it. Compromising or cohabiting with it in this manner does not strengthen democracy," Tsqitishvili said.
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition For Georgia party, announced that he will not return to the country, warning that his political activities would be restricted if he did.
Gakharia is believed to have been abroad for several months. In an interview with opposition-aligned TV Pirveli on Monday, he said he has received a residence permit in Germany.
Amnesty International Condemns Use of Justice System Against Protesters in Georgia
Amnesty International says the imprisonment of protesters in Georgia reflects the abuse of the justice system to suppress dissent.
Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty, highlighted recent sentences against 20 protesters, including activist Saba Skhvitaridze and actor Andro Chichinadze.
"The trials of Chichinadze, Skhvitaridze, and others show that the Georgian authorities are using the justice system to punish demonstrators and silence dissent. Protesters have faced human rights violations, including torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, and unfair trials," the statement reads.
Amnesty International called for the annulment of unfair sentences, the release of detained activists, and the provision of fair retrials. The organization also demanded the immediate release of anyone detained solely for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and free expression.
