As the European Union suspended visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Georgian travelers with diplomatic and official passports, “Norway will consider taking parallel steps,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in its February 3 statement.

The statement recalls the October 26 elections that were marred by “widespread irregularities,” then mentions the November 28 decision by the Georgian Dream government to abandon EU accession efforts, followed by non-stop protests. It highlights the authorities’ “brutal violence” against demonstrators, including at the recent February 2 protest at the entrance to Tbilisi. …

The EU suspended visa-free regime for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders on January 27. This “will be followed up by parallel steps by Norway,” the statement says.

Although the authorities can no longer enter the Schengen area without a visa with diplomatic passports, they can do so with ordinary passports, which they also possess. There have been calls for the EU not to leave this loophole to the authorities and to draw up a list of individuals who should be individually banned from entering the EU without a visa, even with ordinary passports.