The Foreign Relations Committee and the Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee of Georgia’s parliament has made a joint statement regarding the situation in Russia. DFWatch here publishes the statement unchanged.

 

Joint Statement of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Diaspora and Caucasus Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia on the Situation in Russia

Whereas, the elections of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament – Duma – held on December 4, 2011 were assessed by international observers as marred with serious violations, including numerous instances of clear fraud;

Whereas, pressure on media and arrests of civil society representatives, in breach of international electoral standards and restriction of freedom of choice of Russian citizens occurred;

Whereas, public outcry against the widespread fraud aligned with the very concept of the so-called “managed democracy” demonstrates that the Russian government does not see the futility of attempts to reverse the course of history;

Whereas, the first democratic protest of such scale coincides with the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the “evil empire” – the Soviet Union, when captive nations, including Georgia, broke free from decades of totalitarian occupation;

Whereas, the democratic transformation will contribute toRussia’s political and economic development, welfare of citizens, consolidation of peace and security in the world;

 

The Foreign Relations Committee and Diaspora and Caucasus Issue Committee of the Parliament of Georgia:

Share concerns expressed by the international community with regards to the Russian elections held on December 4;

Express deep concern over the continued non-compliance with the norms of international law as well as requirements of the OSCE and the Council of Europe by the Russian authorities;

Condemn the recent days’ mass arrests of up to 1,000 representatives of the democratic opposition, including some of its leaders;

Support demands for democratization of theRussian Federationand believe thatRussia’s democratic transformation will improveMoscow’s relations with all of its neighbours and that those relations will be based on principles of equality and mutual respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity;

Call upon the international community to continue exerting diplomatic pressure on theRussian Federation, in order to ensure fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens.