UK statement on the situation in Georgia

Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty, said:

People in Georgia are making clear their opposition to Georgian Dream's decision to pause the country's further moves towards a European future, which directly undermines the Georgian Constitution. 

I condemn the continued use of brutal and excessive force against protestors and journalists that has continued over recent days. As the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has noted, this is a serious breach of the right to freedom of assembly.

We call on the Georgian authorities to listen, de-escalate this situation, and reverse their harmful trajectory away from European values. Continued steps away from democratic norms and freedoms will only serve to harm Georgia's international reputation, and risk fundamentally damaging relations with Georgia's friends and partners.