US Embassy Condemns Attack on New Rights

(Tbilisi February 5, 2003. Civil Georgia) – The US embassy in Georgia condemned the armed intrusion into the New Rights opposition party’s office in Tbilisi on February 3.

“The United States condemns intimidation of any sort aimed at any political grouping that could prevent the Georgian people from exercising its right to democratic choice,” the statement issued by the US embassy on February 4 reads.

Up to 20 armed men violently raided the New Rights office. The party leadership and other leading opposition parties stated the attack was organized by the Georgian government and aimed to terrorize the opposition.

The leading opposition parties also condemned the violent attack against the New Rights at the meeting in the New Rights party’s office today.

At the government’s meeting on February 5 Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili stated that the opposition’s allegations regarding the involvement of the authorities in the attack are ungrounded.