Carl Hartzell and Kelly Degnan send a reply letter to the victims of the June 20 events

The ambassadors of the United States and the European Union to Georgia responded to the victims of the June 20 event, on the April 19 amnesty agreement

The 19 April Agreement was a compromise brokered through a challenging mediation process and its contents are fully owned by Georgia’s political leaders. Under its first article, the agreement outlines a commitment to address cases of perceived politicized justice. Based on this commitment, it is up to the political parties represented in the Parliament to determine the exact modalities of these obligations, including an amnesty law that meets the intended objectives of the Agreement and respects Georgian laws, the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as all other pertinent international conventions to which Georgia is a member. 

The amnesty law referenced in the Agreement pertains to a painful episode in Georgia’s history, not only for the victims of the events of 19-21 June 2019, but also because of the challenges the event posed to Georgia’s democratic institutions. In such polarized environment, an inclusive process in Parliament is needed to foster reforms that will prevent a recurrence of such tragic events and bring greater transparency and accountability.