The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has imposed a fine of 5,000 lari on the Chairwoman of the OSCE, Elina Valtonen, for attending a protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has also sent a statement to the OSCE Secretariat.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has imposed a fine of 5,000 lari on the Chairwoman of the OSCE, Elina Valtonen, for attending a protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has also sent a statement to the OSCE Secretariat.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has imposed a fine of 5,000 lari (approximately 1,580 euros) on the current Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. This was reported on Thursday, October 16, by the Georgian First Channel, citing the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The politician was fined for "illegal obstruction of the roadway on Rustaveli Avenue," the statement specifies.
Valtonen attended the protest outside the Parliament building of Georgia on October 14. There, she recorded a video message expressing support for the protesters, "concerned about the repressive course of their country," and published it on social media platform X. "They have every right to democracy, freedom of speech, and fundamental human rights. We are here to support them," emphasized the OSCE Chairwoman.
Before imposing the fine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia sent a note of protest to the OSCE Secretariat. It states that Valtonen deviated from the agenda of her official visit, joined a small group of activists, and made a public statement that "does not reflect reality." According to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OSCE Chairwoman aimed to "mislead the international community about the situation in Georgia," local First Channel reports.
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