EU suspends visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats

The European Union on Friday suspended visa-free travel in Europe for diplomats and officials from Georgia for at least a year over democratic backsliding and the crackdown on anti-Government protesters.

“If a government attacks its own people, silences journalists, and curtails freedom, there are consequences,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement.

Protests unrest have rocked Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party halted talks on joining the EU in November 2024.

The move triggered waves of protests that have been met with mass arrests and police violence. It came after the longtime ruling party declared victory in a parliamentary election, the opposition said was rigged. The European Commission said it had suspended official travel “in response to Georgia’s deliberate and persisting violation of the commitments taken under its visa-free regime in key areas of democracy and fundamental rights.”