Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

We would like to respond to the statement of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the law enforcement's handling of violent gatherings in Tbilisi.

In Georgia, the highest standard of freedom for assembly and expression is guaranteed. Although there were instances of large-scale violence by groups linked to the political opposition and supported from foreign sources targeting state institutions and law enforcement, the Georgian law enforcement acted in alignment with the highest human rights standards, with only a few regrettable exceptions.

We appreciate your close attention to the situation in Georgia. However, we regret lack of objectivity in our statement.

We want to emphasize that the Georgian Government refrained from issuing a critical statement towards France, even in light of instances where law enforcement in Paris used brutal methods against protesters, which were entirely incompatible with universal human rights standards.

Biassed assessments encourage the violence, which, as mentioned earlier, is perpetrated by violent groups associated with the political opposition and funded from foreign sources.