THE Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe troika, consisting of Malta, North Macedonia and Finland, condemned Georgian authorities today for a crackdown against protesters.

Protesters, alongside media representatives and opposition politicians, have been targeted by police during demonstrations against what they see as the ruling Georgian Dream party’s interference in presidential elections.

The troika issued a statement today urging the Georgian authorities to “immediately cease the use of repressive tactics and intimidation, including arbitrary detention and physical violence.”

“We call on the Georgian authorities to guarantee the rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression for the people in Georgia, in line with Georgia’s international obligations,” the statement said.

“Laws adopted in contradiction with these commitments must be repealed.

“All allegations regarding the violence, as well as election fraud, must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible for such actions must be held to account.”

The statement came as tens of thousands of people once again took the streets in Tbilisi today on the eve of the country’s sixth presidential election.

Seventeen separate protests brought the city to a standstill for most of the day.

Various groups and communities marched from different points across the city as part of nationwide demonstrations, staged in blocs to ensure people could join more easily.

The action included mass walkouts from workplaces in the afternoon.

Demonstrators also gathered near the headquarters of pro-government TV station Imedi, holding photos of journalists targeted by police officers during protests.

They held banners reading: “TV Imedi, do not encourage violence” and “cover the truth.”

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who rejects the results of recent parliamentary elections, was expected to hold a press briefing after the Morning Star went to print.