In an open letter, the friends of Georgia, including 23 international signatories, said they are “deeply concerned by the recent political developments in Georgia,” as well as by the decision “to storm the headquarters of the leading opposition party and arrest its leader”.

The failure to release Nika Melia and the continued political crisis, with one-party Parliament impedes progress on tackling the issues of security, the economy, and health amid pandemic, but also damage the international image and reputation of Georgia as a stable partner in the region, and committed to the values underpinning the Euro-Atlantic community.

Government as the presiding power, must take the first step by freeing the opposition leader.

We urge the opposition to make use of opportunities provided by the EU and other potential mediators to negotiate with the ruling party, in seeking a solution that will enable them to take up their mandates and strengthen Georgia’s democracy. The opposition has the right to a fair and open adjudication of their claims of election irregularities.

Both the Georgian government and opposition leaders should demonstrate their commitment to democracy, dialogue and respect for human rights”, - reads the letter.