Georgian Parliament official: anti-Georgian rhetoric at Helsinki Commission driven by false narratives, not facts

Davit Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, on Sunday said that the upcoming session of the Helsinki Commission would be driven by fabricated narratives rather than real facts and aimed to exert pressure on Georgia.

Matikashvili commented on the forthcoming Helsinki Commission session, expressing scepticism about its objectives and outcomes.

“We do not expect anything positive, for the sole reason that they are known for lies in their statements and activities”, he said.

The official also referred to one of the announced speakers, Laura Thornton, recalling her previous controversial remarks directed at US President Donald Trump.

“We remember this lady’s [Laura Thornton] statements, which were directly offensive toward the President of the United States. She accused Donald Trump of violence, and so on. In short, this is a format where anti-Georgian rhetoric is driven not by any natural or real facts, but deliberately by a false narrative. The sole purpose of all this is pressure, coercion, and an attempt to once again force the Georgian people into decisions that do not serve the interests of the Georgian people”, Matikashvili noted.

Laura Thornton, who has referred to Donald Trump as a sexual abuser, will be one of the speakers at the Helsinki Commission on January 28, where a report on Georgia is scheduled under the title “The Growing Suppression of Dissent by the Georgian Dream”.

Thornton is the Director of Global Democracy Programs at the McCain Institute and previously headed the NDI office in Georgia.