German Ambassador visits hunger-striking politicians

Germany’s Ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, visited opposition politicians and civil society activists staging a hunger strike on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

During the visit, Ambassador Fischer met with Elene Khoshtaria, a leader of the Coalition for Change, and Gedevan Popkhadze, a former member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, both of whom recently announced hunger strikes in protest of what they describe as an authoritarian shift in Georgia’s political direction.

According to Khoshtaria, the visit was “an act of solidarity, first and foremost with the people who are fighting here.” She emphasized that Germany and other Western partners “clearly understand that this place is a site of struggle for freedom and for both European and Georgian ideals.”

Khoshtaria added that the ambassador's visit included words of support and a reaffirmation of Germany’s and the EU’s continued commitment to the Georgian people. “There was an expression of readiness to ensure that this solidarity remains firm and ongoing — and it will continue,” she said.