Georgian Parliament official: EU bureaucrats supporting Elene Khoshtaria are backing violence, hatred

Rati Ionatamishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, on Wednesday sharply criticised the European Commission’s support for opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria, calling it an endorsement of violence and lawlessness.

“When a European bureaucrat supports Khoshtaria, in reality they are supporting violence, hatred, and the destruction of other people’s property - something especially grave during an ongoing election campaign”, the Parliament official said.

He further added that such actions “insult Europe and European values” and demonstrate that “these people are not concerned about the reputation of European institutions. This is the current face of Euro-bureaucracy, which is engaged in spreading hatred and violence”.

The Georgian Interior Ministry on Monday arrested the opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria for damaging campaign banners of Kakha Kaladze, the ruling Georgian Dream party's candidate for Tbilisi Mayor.