The United States said on Saturday it had suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia following the decision by the Georgian Dream party to suspend accession to the European Union, and government's violent crackdown against protesters in a third straight night of demonstrations, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership," State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism," he added.
Dozens of demonstrators have been arrested as crowds clashed with police after hundreds of thousands poured onto the streets outside the Parliament building since Thursday night and were dispersed by riot police using water cannons and tear gas.
On Saturday night, protesters returned, blocking a long stretch of Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue and the surrounding streets. Police also reportedly used heavy force against members of the media and deployed water cannons to push protesters back along Rustaveli Avenue.
The crackdown on protests has provoked international condemnation.
"We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia," Matt Miller said Saturday. "Georgian Dream's decision to suspend EU accession is a betrayal of the Georgian constitution."
"We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression," he went on to add.
The EU, alongside several European countries, such as France, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, Lithuania, the UK and others, have voiced concern.
Politics
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On the 35th birthday of Igbal Abilov, a researcher imprisoned in Azerbaijan, his colleagues and supporters organized celebratory actions in various European cities, including Vilnius, Belgrade, Warsaw, and Porto, to raise awareness about his case. The participants of these actions called for the release of Abilov, who has been recognized by human rights defenders as a political prisoner.
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As a result of the preliminary investigation, the charge against Aziz Orujov, director of the internet TV channel Kanal 13, under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy) has been dropped. The case has been sent to court only under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code (unauthorized construction on land without ownership rights). This was reported to Turan by Orujov's wife, journalist Lamia Orujeva.
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Today, the Baku Serious Crimes Court delivered a verdict in the case of public activist Ilhamiz Guliyev. The court reclassified the charges from Article 234.4.3 (illegal drug trafficking with intent to sell in large quantities) to a lighter charge under Article 234.1-1 (illegal acquisition, possession, manufacturing, processing, or transportation of narcotic substances or psychotropic substances in large quantities without the intent to distribute) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code and sentenced the activist to three years in prison.
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On December 12, the Union for "Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan" published an updated list of political prisoners, which now includes the names of 331 individuals.
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