Opposition leader condemns fine against OSCE Chair, calling it “an arrogant move by Russian regime in Georgia’

Levan Bezhashvili, a member of the United National Movement, has criticized the Georgian government’s decision to fine OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, calling it “another arrogant outburst of the Russian regime toward our Western partners.”

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Bezhashvili said Western officials visit Georgia to express solidarity with the Georgian people in their struggle for democracy and European values - not to interfere in domestic politics.

“We witnessed yet another outrageous move by the Russian regime toward our Western partners, which ended with a fine. Everyone knows that under international diplomatic norms, fining an official of diplomatic rank is unheard of,” Bezhashvili said.

He described the government’s justification - that Valtonen had allegedly blocked traffic - as “absurd,” accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of trying to intimidate diplomats to prevent them from visiting Georgia or supporting civil society.

“The attempts are futile and will only backfire,” he added, calling on Western partners to impose sanctions on Georgian Dream officials, law enforcement figures, election administrators, and judges.

Bezhashvili also accused former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili of attempting to dismantle the United National Movement through new legislative changes pushed by what he called “a one-party, illegitimate parliament.”

His remarks follow an incident in which Georgia’s Interior Ministry fined OSCE Chair Elina Valtonen 5,000 GEL for blocking traffic on Rustaveli Avenue during her visit to Tbilisi.