“Moscow is not interested in a “happy ending of the story” for Georgia, but the Baltic states support the civil society in this Caucasus country because a common goal unites us. The people of Georgia, like the Lithuanians, believe in a united, free, and peaceful Europe. Although this journey is long and difficult, we believe that you will not give up. And neither shall we. Therefore, the three Baltic states agreed to impose national sanctions on those who brutally suppressed the legitimate protests in Georgia,” the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said. According to him, opponents of democracy and violators of human rights in the Baltic states are not welcome.
“The excessive use of force by the Georgian Government against peaceful protesters and civil society is unjustified. The fundamental right of the citizens to free speech and peaceful assembly must be respected in a democratic state,” stated the Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė.
The entry bans are applied to the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and its incumbent honorary chairman, Bidzina Ivanishvili, as well as to the Georgian Minister of Interior and other senior officials.
The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens of the Republic of Lithuania provides that an alien may be prohibited from entering Lithuania if there are serious grounds for believing that the alien has committed a serious or grave crime against a person in a foreign state. This includes crimes that result in a violation of universally recognised human rights and freedoms, a criminal act of a corruptive nature, or a criminal act corresponding to the characteristics of money laundering, as defined in the laws of the Republic of Lithuania or international treaties. An alien may also be prohibited if he has instigated or otherwise participated in the commission of such criminal acts, or if he publicly and/or actively supports and/or participates in acts committed by a foreign state in violation of the principles and norms of international law.
In line with this decision, the following eleven persons were banned from entering Lithuania:
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Vakhtang Gomelauri
Shalva Bedoidze
Ioseb Chelidze
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze
Giorgi Butkhuzi
Zviad Kharazishvili
Mileri Lagazauri
Mirza Kezevadze
Vaja (Vazha) Siradze
Teimuraz Kupatadze
