EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

   2004   2009   

Session document

26.11.2007 B6-0493/2007

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission

pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure

by Marie Anne Isler Béguin and Cem Özdemir

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

on the situation in

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European Parliament resolution on the situation in Georgia

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, particularly those of 14 October 20041 and 26 October 2006,2

– having regard to its resolution of 15 November 2007 on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP),3

– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 July 1999,

– having regard to the ENP Action Plan endorsed by the EU-Georgia Cooperation Council on 14 November 2006,

– having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas at the end of September, after sensational allegations by former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili against President , opposition forces started staging public rallies and marches on the main streets and squares of Tbilisi,

B. whereas on 2 November the opposition forces mustered the largest crowd since the of 2003, with approximately 80 000 people gathering on the capital’s main avenue, calling for the president’s resignation, early parliamentary elections, changes to the electoral code and the release of people considered political prisoners,

C. whereas, although the protest was originally intended to last only one day, many demonstrators decided to extend the peaceful protest outside the parliament for several more days, sheltering under umbrellas and polythene tents, with a group of them calling a hunger strike,

D. whereas on 7 November, under the pretext of reopening Tbilisi’s main avenue, security forces and riot police first tried to push back protestors camped in front of the parliament building and then used tear-gas, water cannons and baton charges to assail the swelling crowd of demonstrators, leaving more than 500 people in need of medical treatment and many under arrest; whereas even Ombudsman was severely beaten during the police action while attempting to protect demonstrators,

E. whereas, after President Saakashvili imposed the state of emergency, Prime Minister declared that a coup attempt had been made in the country and that this

1 OJ C 166 E, 7.7.2005, p. 63. 2 Texts adopted: P6_TA(2006)0456. 3 Texts adopted: P6_TA-PROV(2007)0538.

PE398.149v01-00 2/4 RE\696716EN.doc EN measure was a reaction to that; whereas in a televised speech President Saakashvili laid responsibility for the events which took place in Tbilisi at the door of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), alleging that he had had advance information that there was a plot to overthrow the Georgian Government by the end of the year, but providing no evidence for his statement; whereas Georgia recalled its ambassador to Moscow and declared three Russian diplomats in Georgia personae non gratae; whereas, after the firm and widespread criticism by the international community, the Georgian Parliament finally decided to lift the state of emergency as of 16 November,

F. whereas on the evening of 7 November two opposition TV channels, Imedi and Caucasia, were taken off the air; whereas the buildings of Imedi television and radio were stormed by armed members of security agencies wearing masks before the announcement of the state of emergency and without prior notification, with up to 90% of the station’s broadcasting equipment destroyed; whereas a Tbilisi court suspended the broadcasting license of Imedi and froze its assets on the grounds that its coverage of the events of 7 November amounted to incitement to overthrow the government; whereas the court notification was handed over to Imedi’s director only one week later; whereas the Georgian National Communication Commission (GNCC) has suspended Imedi’s TV’s broadcasting licence for three months, citing the station’s violation of the law on broadcasting,

G. whereas on 8 November President Saakashvili called pre-term presidential elections for 5 January 2008, as well as a referendum on whether to hold early parliamentary elections,

H. whereas the Georgian economy is still being seriously harmed by the Russian ban on imports of and agricultural products, which appears to be more and more politically motivated,

I. whereas the already tense situation in both Abkhazia and is escalating further with clashes, shoot-outs and mutual accusations of violation of existing agreements; whereas the Russian troops have lost their status of neutral, impartial peacekeepers; whereas the Moscow authorities’ decision to grant Russian passports to the people living in those parts of Georgian territory is further destabilising the situation,

J. whereas, well ahead of time, Russia has completed the withdrawal of the equipment, armaments and property of its troops from Georgia, which under the Russian-Georgian agreement was scheduled to take place in the course of 2008,

K. whereas every effort should be made by the EU to help Georgia keep up the pace of reform and develop a fully functioning democracy; whereas the ENP Action Plan provides Georgia with the opportunity to get closer to the EU and embrace and share its founding values,

1. Expresses its deep concern at the deterioration of the political situation in Georgia and calls on all parties to show openness and restraint, tone down statements and engage in a constructive and fruitful dialogue aimed at supporting and consolidating its fragile democratic institutions;

2. Condemns the violent crackdown by the Georgian security forces on peaceful, unarmed

RE\696716EN.doc 3/4 PE398.149v01-00 EN demonstrators; calls for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the events and for those guilty of misconduct and acts of violence to be brought to justice and punished;

3. Urges the Council, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and his special envoy for South Caucasus to make every effort to facilitate the dialogue between the parties, defuse tension and contribute to restoring mutual confidence;

4. Calls on the Georgian authorities immediately to lay down and enforce all the necessary conditions for free and fair elections, which include the full restoration and guarantee of freedom of expression and media freedom and fair and balanced access for all the parties and candidates to both public and private media;

5. Welcomes the rapid invitation to the OSCE and other international organisations to monitor and supervise the election campaign, election day and the ballot-counting operations;

6. Calls on the Georgian authorities to allow the Imedi TV and Radio Company to resume broadcasting without further delay and to ensure that this company is reimbursed and compensated for the damage to its outlets and the destruction of its equipment;

7. Welcomes the amendments to the electoral code adopted by the Georgian Parliament which will allow opposition parties to appoint six representatives to the Central Election Commission and each of the precinct election commissions, as well as the lifting of restrictions on monitoring of elections by international observers;

8. Underlines that one of the priority areas of the ENP Action Plan is the rule of law; urges the EU in this connection, after the end of the EUJUST-THEMIS ESDP mission in July 2005, to further focus, as regards its assistance to Georgia, on the independence of the judiciary and the training of Georgian police and security forces;

9. Reaffirms its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and calls on the Russian authorities to respect fully the sovereignty of that country within its internationally recognised borders;

10. Reiterates its call on Russia to lift its unjustified import ban on Georgian agricultural products, which was imposed over a year ago;

11. Stresses the extraordinary role played by civil society in Georgia; calls on the Tbilisi authorities to make the most of the proposals coming from NGOs and to engage in a broad and deep dialogue with all of its components;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the President and the , the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the President and Parliament of the Russian Federation.

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