The European Parliament called on the Georgian authorities to release protesters.

The European Parliament condemned the politically motivated detention of Elene Khoshtaria and other opposition politicians and protesters.

The European Parliament strongly condemns the politically motivated detention of Elene Khoshtaria and all other individuals, according to a resolution that MEPs will vote on today.

The resolution, titled "The Case of Elene Khoshtaria and Political Prisoners under the Georgian Dream Regime," states that the European Parliament "strongly condemns the politically motivated detention of Elene Khoshtaria and all other individuals who have been targeted for exercising freedom of expression and assembly or expressing peaceful protest. The systematic criminal prosecution of political opponents, journalists, and activists by the Georgian Dream regime is also condemned."

The European Parliament also "condemns, according to information received, the humiliating and inhumane treatment meted out to Khoshtaria during her detention. Demands her immediate and unconditional release, as well as the release of all other persons detained for politically motivated reasons. Demands the immediate quashance of the politically motivated charges against them." - stated in the text quoted by InterPressNews

The European Union condemns political repression, including against opposition leaders, journalists, and civil society activists, and calls on the government to immediately and unconditionally release all unlawfully detained persons, European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said at a debate on Georgia in the European Parliament, noting that he was speaking on behalf of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

The EU also calls on the Georgian government to respect the fundamental principles of democracy, a key part of which is political pluralism.

According to him, ultimately the European Union remains committed to holding to account those responsible for the "significant democratic backsliding" and human rights violations in Georgia.

"The human rights situation in Georgia, as many have noted, continues to deteriorate. The Georgian government is deliberately leading the country towards autocracy, eroding basic democratic principles and international human rights standards. Recent laws restricting foreign funding and political activity, along with violence against demonstrators and the arrests of journalists, activists, and opposition figures, clearly demonstrate the government's disregard for the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental freedoms. This is not what the European Union, and more importantly, Georgians, expect from a government that still claims to seek EU membership. Therefore, my first message to the Georgian government is: with such actions and such laws, Georgia has no viable path to EU membership. “Not by 2030, as the government claims, nor at all, if this course continues,” he was quoted as saying in the publication.

Secondly, the European Union expresses solidarity with all those who have been unlawfully detained, ill-treated, and imprisoned over the past two years, including Elene Khoshtaria, the European Commissioner said.

“The European Union condemns political repression, including against opposition leaders, journalists, and civil society activists, and calls on the government to immediately and unconditionally release all those unlawfully detained. Torture and ill-treatment are completely prohibited under international law, and impunity for violations committed by law enforcement agencies must end. Opposition leaders face violence and arrests, and their constitutional ban is approaching. Such repressive tactics are reminiscent of the methods used by authoritarian countries to silence dissent and political opponents. "The European Union calls on the Georgian government to uphold the fundamental principles of democracy, a key part of which is political pluralism," Hoekstra said, adding that the European Union remains committed to holding accountable those responsible for the significant democratic backsliding and human rights violations in Georgia.