On January 5, three opposition political forces, Coalition for Change, Unity-UNM, and Strong Georgia, issued a joint letter urging Pia Kauma, the President of OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, to condition her visit to Georgia by GD’s government committing to new elections and releasing the detained protesters.

The letter reads that "the self-proclaimed regime of Georgian Dream is solely focused on achieving international recognition of the results of the falsified elections of 26 October 2024, its illegitimate one-party "parliament" and "president".

The statement further noted that the "self-proclaimed regime" of Georgian Dream "does not consider releasing political prisoners or holding new elections," and the visit will only be deemed appropriate if it facilitates preparations for new elections and the release of political prisoners.

The letter reads as follows:

"Madam President,

On behalf of Georgia's democratic political forces, we express our gratitude to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and ODIHR for their unwavering commitment to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.

Unfortunately, the parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024, were conducted with gross violations of constitutional and international democratic principles. The scale and intensity of falsifications undermined the legitimacy of the electoral process and public trust. As a result, the "parliament" composed solely of Georgian Dream deputies and the "president" elected by it cannot be considered legitimate and do not represent the will of the Georgian people.

In recent months, peaceful protesters in Georgia have faced illegal detentions, violence, and repression. Today, more than 50 people remain imprisoned, and hundreds are facing administrative charges.

The goal of the self-declared regime is to gain international recognition. Unfortunately, visits like yours are often used for propaganda purposes by the regime, further complicating the situation for democratic forces and civil society.

Given that the self-declared regime of Georgian Dream has no intention of releasing political prisoners or holding new elections, the visit would only be considered meaningful if it contributes to the preparation of new elections and the release of political prisoners.

Under these circumstances, postponing the visit would be the best decision until the regime commits to holding new elections and freeing political prisoners". 

Giorgi Gakharia, the leader of the "Gakharia for Georgia" party, addressed a letter to Pia Kauma, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, urging her to reconsider the timing and purpose of her planned visit to Georgia.

"I am writing to express my deep concern regarding your planned visit to Tbilisi at this critical moment in Georgia's political crisis. While your leadership and commitment as the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are widely appreciated, the timing of this visit raises significant questions about its potential impact on the ongoing fight for justice and a European future for the Georgian people," the letter states.

Gakharia emphasizes that "under Ivanishvili's regime, there is a risk that such visits could be used as a tool for propaganda purposes."

"Madam President, I urge you to reconsider the timing and purpose of your visit to Tbilisi to ensure that it aligns with the principles of democracy, accountability, and human rights. While your commitment to fostering dialogue is appreciated, I believe that your visit and our meeting at this particular moment may not fully achieve the intended goal," the letter concludes.

This follows some European criticism of the planned visit. On January 4, Richard Kohl, a Latvian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about Kauma’s scheduled visit to Georgia on January 8-10, calling it "a disastrous and ill-timed move." "Such a visit would hand the regime a propaganda victory, legitimizing an autocracy-in-the-making while critically undermining oscepa’s credibility," Kohl argued. Rasa Juknevičienė, a Lithuanian MEP, also wrote about Kauma’s visit, saying it would only be "useful for Bidzina Ivanishvili, for the recognition of the state capture scheme created by him."