Estonia says that it has jointly agreed along with Latvia and Lithuania to introduce national sanctions against "those who suppressed legitimate protests in Georgia" amid the ongoing turmoil in that Black Sea post-Soviet republic. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the move via social media on December 2, adding, "Opponents of democracy & violators of human rights are not welcome in our countries." Georgian authorities have acknowledged detaining at least 224 people in the four days since Georgian Dream party Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Tbilisi was suspending its EU membership talks through 2028. The decision sparked protests and a harsh crackdown in an already tense post-election atmosphere with constitutional challenges mounting between outgoing President Salome Zurabishvili and the government.
Baltic States To Punish Georgians Suppressing 'Legitimate Protests'
Protesters donned Georgian and EU flags outside the Georgian Foreign Ministry building in Tbilisi on December 2.