EU Ambassador: visa restrictions target Georgian officials over democratic backsliding

The European Union has introduced visa requirements for Georgian officials holding diplomatic and service passports, a move EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski said was aimed at punishing those responsible for political repression and violence.

Speaking to reporters in Tbilisi on Tuesday, Herczynski cited Georgia’s democratic backsliding and a lack of accountability for recent violence as key reasons behind the decision.

“We are shocked by the ongoing intimidation, the beatings, and the impunity,” he said. “Despite two months of street violence, no one has been punished. This step is a response to the repression and democratic regression that has been unfolding in Georgia.”

The ambassador stressed that the EU’s action did not target ordinary Georgian citizens, who continue to benefit from visa-free travel to the EU. Instead, the restrictions were focused on government officials, reflecting the EU’s growing concerns over controversial legislation and a series of violent incidents against journalists, opposition figures, and protesters amid ongoing protests against the government’s decision last year to halt EU accession until 2028.

“We stand with the Georgian people, who are demonstrating every night for a better, democratic, and European future. This decision is about holding those in power accountable, not punishing the citizens who are calling for change,” Herczynski added.