Opposition claims ruling party didn’t vote for resolution in PACE against Russia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, January 25
The European Georgia opposition party has stated that the Georgian Dream ruling party representatives in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) did not vote for the resolution on the 'Magnitsky list' which initiates sanctions against Russian and other individuals for violation of human rights.
Sergey Magnitsky was a Russian tax accountant specialized in anti-corruption activities, who was detained in Russia in 2008 and died in custody after eleven months. The death has triggered an international outcry.
The recent resolution on the Magnitsky list also included the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list, which was approved by the Georgian parliament last year and which includes 33 individuals who have violated human rights in the two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali since 1991 to the present day.
A member of the European Georgia opposition, Vice Parliament Speaker Sergi Kapanadze said that the members of the Georgian Dream party, who did not vote for the Magnitsky list resolution, automatically refused to vote for the Otkhozoria-Tatunashivili list in PACE.
“A serious discussion was underway related to the Magnitsky List within the format of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. PACE adopted the resolution on the Magnitsky List, which includes the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list. This resolution calls on European countries to impose so-called smart sanctions against those countries and people, who roughly violate human rights, including in the occupied territories of Georgia.
“I would like to remind the public that last year, the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list was adopted upon the initiative of the European Georgia party. Firstly, the government opposed this, but then the parliament adopted a resolution. In PACE none of the Georgian Dream members supported the resolution that calls on Russia to protect human rights. They did not participle even in the debates,” Kapanadze said.
Georgian Vice Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili from the ruling party called “shameful” to the statement and stated that she personally supported the Magnistsy list resolution.
The Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list was made after the brutal murder of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili by occupying forces last year.
Making the list was strongly criticized by the de facto governments of Georgia.
