Georgia is increasingly moving away from a democratic course and moving closer to Russia, while the ruling party uses intimidation methods similar to those employed by the Kremlin regime. This was stated by Finland's Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Kirsti Narinen, reports UNN citing Yle.
Details
According to the diplomat, the ruling party "Georgian Dream" is systematically suppressing the pro-Western protest movement, and the judicial system is being used to hand down harsh sentences to participants in protest actions.
"Georgian Dream" is cornering itself both politically and internationally, as well as in its relations with the Georgian people
She also emphasized that the authorities are stoking fear among the population to suppress the desire for change.
"This is also the basis of Putin's power. That is why 'Georgian Dream' can be defined as an autocratic or even dictatorial power structure,"
As Yle writes, pro-Western protests in Georgia have been ongoing for almost 600 days, and human rights activists are calling on the European Union for a tougher response to the rollback of democracy in the country.