Opposition leader: EU demands release of ex-President Saakashvili, political prisoners

Tina Bokuchava, Chair of the opposition party United National Movement, stated that the European People’s Party (EPP) had adopted a resolution on Georgia during its congress in Valencia, marking what she called a strong show of support for the Georgian people’s European choice. She said the resolution calls for the release of all political prisoners, including former President Mikheil Saakashvili, and demands the holding of new, free and fair elections to return the country to the path of European integration.

“Today, the European People’s Party, the most influential political group in Europe, adopted a resolution on Georgia. This is a very important show of support for the European aspirations of the Georgian people,” Bokuchava said. “This was the kind of congress attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. We met with all of them to defend Georgia’s European future.”

According to Bokuchava, the EPP resolution calls for the expansion of sanction policies aimed at containing the Russian-aligned regime in Georgia. She said this requires holding new parliamentary elections and releasing political prisoners. “It specifically calls for the release of Mikheil Saakashvili, whose case has become a political precedent shaped by Judge Mikheil Jinjolia,” she added. “That’s why Europe is demanding the release of Saakashvili and all political prisoners, new elections in Georgia, and the country’s return to the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.”

The resolution, adopted by EPP members from across Europe and beyond, condemns the actions of Georgian Dream, its “continued decline into authoritarianism and drift towards the Russian orbit.” It slams the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party, calls for an end to political persecution, and urges EU institutions to cut financial ties with Georgia’s current leadership while increasing support for civil society and independent media.