Germany, France, Poland Condemn Georgia Violence, Back Pro-Democracy Movement

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland on Tuesday expressed concern about "the political crisis" in Georgia, two days after former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was formally inaugurated as president of the South Caucasus nation, cementing the ruling party's grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country's European Union aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.

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"We strongly condemn last week's violence against peaceful protesters, media and opposition leaders and recall Georgian authorities' responsibility to respect human rights and protect fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to assembly and media freedom," the three ministers wrote in a joint statement.