MP: talk about “democratic backsliding” in Georgia “deliberate hostility” to country

In his criticism of claims of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia by the European People's Party, Subari recalled the practice of torture the inmates during the UNM Government. Photo: Parliament of Georgia

Agenda.ge, 08 Dec 2022 - 14:15, Tbilisi,Georgia

Sozar Subari, a member of People’s Power, a public movement composed of the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Thursday said “all those” who wanted to “revive” the opposition United National Movement party and “bring it to power” had “realised” it was “impossible” to do so and “now switched to open struggle”.

In his criticism of claims of “democratic backsliding” in Georgia by the European People's Party, Subari recalled the practice of torture the inmates during the UNM Government.

“I was listening to Mamuka Mdinaradze [the ruling Georgian Dream party Executive Secretary], he was talking about what was happening in the prisons, and I remembered all the prisoners I had seen there, brutally tortured”, he said.

I remembered those dead prisoners, some of whom died because they were tortured and some because they weren’t provided medical treatment”, Subari, who during the previous Government held the post of the Public Defender, added.

The MP also claimed “deliberate” use of the term “democratic backsliding” was a “policy” aimed at discrediting the Georgian Government.

“Today, far fewer cases from Georgia go to the European Court of Human Rights than from a vast majority of European countries. Today, fewer people die in prisons in Georgia than in a vast majority of European countries. For example, half as much as in the United States. Nobody can say anything [negative] about the Georgian elections today”, he continued.

On this backdrop, talking about a democratic backsliding is simply a shame and a deliberate hostility to this country. This has a specific purpose, and this purpose is to bring one's own agents to power in Georgia. All those who wanted to revive the opposition United National Movement party and bring it to power have realised that it is impossible to do so, and now switched to open struggle”, Subari said.