"Europe has told us that we can't go on like this" | Special Statement by Nika Melia

"Europe has told us that we cannot go on like this," Nika Melia, chairman of the United National Movement, said in response to the European Parliament resolution. He addresses the Georgian Dream and reminds us that there are two weeks left for Georgia to convince Europe of our European aspirations.
According to him, the National Movement joins the rally planned by the "Shame" movement for June 20, and calls on the public to come to the rally.

Statement in full:

"We are concerned about the destructive role that oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili is playing in Georgian politics and the economy. We are also deeply concerned about Ivanishvili's personal and business ties with the Kremlin, which determine the position of the current Georgian government on imposing sanctions against Russia; We call on the Council of Europe and its democratic partners to consider imposing personal sanctions against Ivanishvili.

The Georgian government and other politicians are joining the hunt for journalists instead of defending the foundations of democracy and society. Open threats and harassment of critical journalists are diverting Georgia from its pursuit of European integration.

We are now calling for a change in public policy and approach - it is time for Tbilisi to analyze what is at stake for Georgia's future. These are not my words, these are European attitudes because yesterday 17 out of 17 people without exception, all political factions spoke in the debate about Georgia, all at once said:

That people in Georgia are persecuted for political reasons, that freedom of speech and expression is not protected in Georgia, That we have political prisoners in Georgia, Mikhail Saakshvili, Nika Gvaramia and others, That journalists and people unacceptable for the government are persecuted in the streets at the instigation and organization of the government, That what's happening in Georgia denies European values. That we have a government that does not express the will of the Georgian people, their interests and their European aspirations.

You are not a country with European values; you are a country whose ruler deserves sanctions," we were told from Europe. This result was not established in 1 day.

The Georgian Dream went to this result for years because of the desire to retain power, to declare anyone opposing it an enemy and physically destroy them.

It went and brought the country to the point where the European Parliament unanimously, without exception, tells us - it's time for Tbilisi to analyze what is at stake for the future of Georgia.

All this time, the Georgian opposition, civil society and critical media - we have been trying to stand up to this moment:

We worked to make sure that there was no political persecution in Georgia, that we didn't have people harassed in the streets, that we didn't have political prisoners arrested on baseless charges in Georgia, that we had a free trial. We have been working to protect human dignity, freedom of speech and expression and the right to free choice, to make sure politics serves the people and we have been trying especially recently to make Georgia compliant with the democratic society.

Our visits, our letters, our posts until the this day served to get us to candidacy status.

But the Georgian Dream opposed the activities of political parties or free media, only with brute force, not arguments and reasoning, but imprisonment and brutal violence.

With the highest political document adopted today, Europe has told us that it cannot go on like this, that it is time for Tbilisi to analyze what is at stake for the future of Georgia.

Our historical choice is at stake, the idea that was created with the sweat and blood of different generations. For the Georgian people to live in their own land, in a united Georgia, freely and peacefully, with full respect for their dignity and social conditions - and this idea is called the presence of Georgia in the European family.

I want to refer to the Georgian Dream: The European Parliament has unequivocally stated that Europe is ready to give Georgia candidate status and the only barrier between the Georgian people and Europe is the oligarch Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream.

Bidzina Ivanishvili and his government are responsible for hindering Georgia's European path.

You have 2 weeks to stop sabotaging Georgia's European future, stop pressuring the media, and stop political persecution.

It's time for the Georgian people to reaffirm their historic choice.

June 20 will mark three years since the Georgian people stood up for their dignity and freedom. I know that on this day, on Rustaveli Avenue, those patriots, representatives of different generations who defended Georgia's dignity and freedom from back then are still gathering.

- June 20 at 8 p.m. on Rustaveli Avenue - together for the victory of Georgia," Melia said.