Irakli Kobakhidze: No one goes to prison for standing on the sidewalk! Name me one person who is in prison for having a different opinion! – They cannot tell us the names of those who should be released!

“No one goes to prison for standing on the sidewalk! Blocking the roadway is punished with appropriate sanctions in many countries – and also, name me one person who is in prison for having a different opinion!” – this statement was made by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in response to questions raised about democratic backsliding in Georgia.

In the same context today, Kobakhidze noted that representatives of the European Union cannot name the specific surnames of prisoners who could be released, because by doing so they “would openly come out as encouragers of violence and the throwing of Molotov cocktails.”

“No one goes to prison for standing on the sidewalk! When it comes to blocking the roadway, this is punished with appropriate sanctions in many countries, and no one receives an administrative sanction for standing on the sidewalk.

Who is pointing us to an increase in the number of prisoners? Over the course of a year and a half we had to arrest approximately 3,000 people who were directly involved in the sale of narcotics. If your position is that we should release these people – fine, let’s discuss that – but this has nothing whatsoever to do with democracy!

Who is sitting in prison for having a different opinion? – Name me one person! For blocking the roadway there is a financial fine and then, at most, administrative detention, which as a rule is limited to two weeks, meaning this does not concern placing people in prisons.

Which other prisoner should we release? – Should we release the thrower of a ‘Molotov cocktail’ or the person who insults the police?! They cannot tell us the surnames of those who should be released! They cannot tell us the surnames because they have nothing to say! Otherwise it would turn out that they would openly come out as encouragers of violence and the throwing of ‘Molotov cocktails,’ which they do not want. They want to speak in verbal phrases, which will not work! Let them kindly present the surnames of those whose release they want!

We always declare that we are ready for dialogue, but the dialogue must be based on facts, transparent, and conducted before the eyes of the public,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.