The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos, has called Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s threats to President Salome Zourabichvili "unacceptable".

Kobakhidze said Zourabichvili must leave office on Sunday, December 29, the day her term concludes, in accordance with the Georgian constitution, and insinuated that she could be jailed if she refuses to step down.

"I wish to remind the PM Kobakhidze that his country is a member of the CoE [i.e. the Council of Europe]. The direct threat he made today against Zourabichvili to imprison her when her term of office expires on 29 December is unacceptable, contrary to the principles of democracy and the rule of law," the PACE president wrote Sunday on X.

Also, Rousopoulos called the Georgian PM to withdraw the aforesaid statement and align his actions with the Council of Europe principles, which he must respect.