Former U.S. national security officials and Georgia experts have been alarmed by the recently escalating repression of freedom of speech and assembly in Georgia and the Georgian Dream-led government’s longer-term antipathy for democratic norms. The following letter, signed with 17 of our colleagues, outlines our concerns and proposes policy measures that the U.S. government can take to respond to these urgent challenges to the rights of the Georgian people:
We, Friends of Georgia to include former U.S. diplomats who have served in and/or worked on Georgian-U.S. relations, condemn in the strongest terms the violence unleashed on peaceful protesters in Tbilisi by the Georgian government. We also have trouble understanding the decision by Georgian authorities, led by Georgian Dream de facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, to abort negotiations with the European Union regarding the country’s accession aspirations. It was that decision, praised by Russian leader Vladimir Putin within minutes of the announcement, that triggered the latest demonstrations by tens of thousands of Georgians.
Ever since the EU decided to offer Georgia candidacy status last December, the Georgian Dream-led government and parliament have taken major steps in the wrong direction. It passed Russian-style legislation on NGO’s and the media, went after the LGBTQ community, attacked the “global war party” (meaning the United States) by absurdly claiming it was trying to drag Georgia into war against Russia, and finally conducted elections that were “marred by concerns over recently adopted legislation, its impact on fundamental freedoms and civil society,” according to ODIHR (the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights). Georgian Dream representatives have verbally attacked the previous U.S. ambassador, Kelly Degnan, and members of Congress. A number of these developments received praise from Russia and Putin.
The United States has provided more than $6.5 billion in assistance to Georgia in the past three decades. The United States has supported the development of democracy and a market economy in Georgia since its independence. And Georgia became one of the reform leaders among the countries of the broader region – reflecting the will of the Georgian people. The vast majority of Georgians are very pro-American and pro-European, and they want to join the EU and NATO.
This is clearly a critical moment in Georgia’s history with implications for the South Caucasus and beyond. Georgia as a beacon of freedom, and reform is at stake. Given the long U.S. support for the people of Georgia as they moved toward democracy, it is long past time to act.
The authorities in Tbilisi who have put in place these authoritarian policies, and their agents, are seeking personal advantage. The United States has the ability to influence their calculus and support the people of Georgia. We see that the U.S. State Department condemned the latest violence; we now urge the United States to hold those responsible accountable.
That means the United States should:
Withhold recognition of the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections given serious questions raised about their legitimacy and similarly withhold recognition of the new parliament and re-establishment of a Georgian Dream government.
Support President Salome Zourabichvili’s efforts to bring about new, free and fair elections, under a new Central Election Commission, thus creating a path for democratic renewal.
Call on the Georgian military and security services to uphold the constitution of Georgia, the foundation of Georgian democracy, by refusing any orders inconsistent with that document, for instance to repress peaceful demonstrators.
Impose immediate and public sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Kobakhidze, and others in the government and parliament who have engaged in such authoritarian behavior. That should also include the police and military officers involved in the crackdown on peaceful protesters and the shenanigans in the conduct of the parliamentary elections.
All these measures would be more effective if taken in tandem with the EU. Whether alone or with the EU, these steps would leave no doubt that the U.S. stands unequivocally with the vast majority of the people of Georgia.
List of signatories
Amb. Robert F. Cekuta, Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
Amb. Paula Dobriansky, Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs
Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director of the McCain Institute; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia
Amb. Daniel Fried, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia
Amb. John E. Herbst, Former US Ambassador to Ukraine and Uzbekistan
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (ret.) Former Commanding General, US Army Europe
Amb. Richard Kauzlarich, Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Amb. Ian Kelly, Former US Ambassador to Georgia
David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute; former US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights & Labor
Laura Linderman, Senior Fellow and Director of Programs, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council
Amb. Richard Morningstar, Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and the EU
Amb. Stephen Sestanovich, Former US Ambassador-at-Large for the Former Soviet Union; Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Amb. William Taylor, Former US Ambassador to Ukraine
Laura Thornton, Senior Director, Global Democracy Programs, McCain Institute; former head of National Democratic Institute, Georgia
Amb. Alexander Vershbow, Former US Ambassador to NATO and Russia
Amb. Kurt Volker, Former US Ambassador to NATO; former US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations
Amb. Kenneth Yalowitz, Former US Ambassador to Georgia and Belarus
Amb. Marie Yovanovitch, Former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan
