Georgien

The country’s rubber-stamp parliament has introduced amendments to criminalize “systematic” non-recognition of the government. The amendments increase punishments for anyone deemed in opposition to government policies “with the motive of not recognizing Georgia’s constitutional order or constitutional bodies.” 

The European Union is set to follow through this month on a plan to suspend visa liberalization for all Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders after saying Tbilisi has “violated numerous commitments undertaken during the visa liberalization dialogue.” 

In a DW interview, President Mikheil Kavelashvili has defended the government and urged the EU to "change its attitude," stressing Georgians see themselves as European.

Georgia’s government has reacted angrily to a critical assessment from the European Union over the country’s backsliding on democratic reforms on the way to joining the bloc, accusing Brussels of interfering in domestic affairs.

Georgia's ruling party will ask the Constitutional Court to ban the three largest opposition parties, the speaker of parliament said on Tuesday, in what would mark a sharp escalation in the drift towards authoritarian rule in the EU candidate nation.

A group of non-profit groups in Georgia has condemned a series of amendments proposed by the government that would strengthen punishment for protesters and effectively ban some opposition figures from running for political office.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened anti-government activists with further arrests as tensions remained high in the Caucasus nation following a weekend of mass protests in the capital, Tbilisi.

Protesters gathered on September 9 in the Georgian capital a day after supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party attacked protesters participating in ongoing demonstrations over a government decision to halt European Union membership talks. 

The European Union is threatening Georgia, a candidate country for membership, with sanctions over violations of core European values. Georgia’s democratic backsliding will not go without consequences, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said following a meeting of bloc foreign ministers in Brussels.

A court in Georgia has sentenced prominent opposition figure Nika Gvaramia to eight months in prison, amid a deepening crackdown on critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party.