EU Candidate Status! & more – 21st Dec 2023

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 21st of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Thursday, the 14th, just as we filed the last show, the EU Council granted EU candidate status to Georgia. According to Charles Michel, the President of the EU Council, this decision "shows the credibility and strength of the European Union." to the people of Georgia, he hastened to add. Meaning we don’t care how the ruling party takes this or what they think.

On Friday the 15th, Georgia celebrated getting EU candidate status. European Union flags flew in the streets and on different buildings across the country. Thousands of people filled the Freedom Square in Tbilisi.

On Tuesday the 19th, the European Court of Human Rights (or ECHR) held Russia responsible for the death of a Georgian citizen, Giga Otkhozoria, killed by Russian forces on Tbilisi-controlled territory in the village of Khurcha, near Abkhazia, in twenty sixteen. The court ordered Russia to pay around 140,000 US dollars for non-pecuniary damage and about 10,000 US dollars for legal expenses within three months. The Russian Government said that its forces were in Abkhazia to deter Georgian aggression, not exercise police powers. The ECHR sided with the Otkhozoria's family, stating that Russia violated the right to life.

Speaking of Abkhazia, on Wednesday, the 20th, President Salome Zurabishvili criticized the transfer of a state dacha in Pitsunda, Abkhazia, to Russia. Zurabishvili said the decision was illegal and that it didn’t have the people's consent, stressing the need to defend these lands on the international stage. For context, the parliament of Abkhazia will review an agreement on the 28th of December to transfer the state dacha to Russia. While this doesn't entail transferring ownership of the land, Russia would lease the buildings for forty-nine years.

On Sunday, the 17th, Georgia's government opted not to join the EU's decision to extend the "Magnitsky Act." The US established the Act in twenty twelve, and it aims to hold Russian authorities accountable for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in Russia. The Act mainly imposes sanctions on law-breaking officials and Russian companies. Shalva Papuashvili, the parliament speaker, said that by not imposing sanctions on Russia, Georgia avoided a war and economic collapse. Politicians from opposition parties criticized the decision and described it as another pro-Russian move by the Georgian Dream or Otsneba which of course it is. Important to note how incredibly isolated Georgia is on this.

On that note about the Georgian Government, on Monday, the 18th, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili delivered the government's annual report, highlighting key achievements and comparing the economic, defense, and security parameters of twenty twelve with twenty twenty-three. He celebrated Georgia's newly granted EU candidate status, attributing it to the government's policies aligned with national interests. Members of opposition parties challenged this statement and said that Otsneba was not pro-European at all. Garibashvili praised the ruling authorities and Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Otsneba, while criticizing the former government. Addressing the war in Ukraine, he said the current government successfully avoided going to war against Russia and accused certain groups of attempting to drag Georgia into the war. He emphasized Georgia's irreversible path toward European integration and expressed his aspiration for de-occupation and national unification.

On Wednesday the 20th, from the Vivamed clinic during court proceedings, Misha congratulated the Georgian people, declaring it a 1:0 victory in Georgia's favor. He talked about the government's efforts to obstruct Georgia's EU candidacy, citing the Russian "Agents' Law." After a change in leadership, Georgia could accelerate its path toward the European Union. He urged citizens to unite against the current government, asserting that the choice is crucial for the nation's European future. Misha warned that staying under the current administration might hinder progress, while a change could propel Georgia swiftly toward the EU, promising a better life for the people.

On Monday, the 18th, the Constitutional Court of Georgia said that the requirement for a five-day advance notice to the local executive body for spontaneous assemblies or demonstrations was unconstitutional. The court emphasized that the freedom of assembly, guaranteed by Georgia's Constitution, encompasses both pre-organized and spontaneous gatherings. The ruling establishes that the right to spontaneous assembly, even if it causes traffic disruption, falls within the protected scope of freedom of assembly and demonstration. Prior to this decision, the Georgian Constitution did not explicitly recognize spontaneous assemblies.

On Saturday, the 16th, the German Bundesrat officially recognized Georgia as a safe country of origin. This decision aims to facilitate migration-related agreements and boost cooperation between Germany and Georgia. Moreover, on Monday the 18th, on the International Day of Migrants, Nancy Fesser, Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior, visited Georgia and signed a government agreement on migration and mobility with Vakhtang Gomelauri, Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs. The deal focuses on countering illegal migration. It also emphasizes collaboration on labor migration and education, streamlining work visa processes for Georgians in Germany.

The Venice Commission expressed concerns about the lack of independence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (or ACB) under the current institutional design. It said that the ACB's oversight powers regarding political party financing and declarations of high-level officials require additional safeguards. The Commission criticizes the concentration of power in the Prime Minister's hands for appointing and dismissing the ACB head. While acknowledging the twenty twenty-two amendments aimed at strengthening anti-corruption efforts, the Commission suggests revisions for enhanced independence, including cross-party support for ACB head appointments, restricted grounds for dismissal, functional immunity, and clarified drug testing provisions.

On Tuesday the 19th, the Central Election Commission (or CEC) addressed recent calls for creating election precincts abroad, stating that collecting signatures for opening precincts won't yield legal results. The CEC establishes election precincts in other states based on data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not through citizen petitions. Two allied parties, Girchi-More Freedom and Droa, have sent petitions to the CEC and the Foreign Ministry on behalf of Georgians living abroad in response. The parties plan to persist in the "Ballot Box in Your City" campaign, urging Georgians abroad to vote in the October twenty twenty-four parliamentary elections. The CEC expressed concern that the appeals could mislead voters and harm the electoral environment. Allied parties argued the CEC's actions contradicted its mission and pledged to continue their campaign with greater enthusiasm. They called on Georgian immigrants to actively engage in the upcoming elections.

On Tuesday, the 19th, the United Nations Women's Organization and the National Statistical Service presented findings from a national survey on violence against women. Disturbingly, nearly half of violence cases reported were witnessed by children, and 17% of victims had suicidal thoughts. Sexual harassment was predominant in public spaces, with 90% occurring on the street, in public transport, at school, or in the workplace. A significant number of women remain silent, and only two in ten seek help, with just one in ten trusting the police. Irina Japaridze of UN Women emphasized the need for improved prevention and response mechanisms, suggesting ongoing awareness campaigns and open societal discussions to combat violence. The results are truly bleak. Worth reading the report.

Let’s end this week's show with some regional news. The "Social Justice Center," a human rights organization, reports that although the potato harvest in Javakheti concluded over three weeks ago, the sale remains a significant challenge. Farmers couldn't sell last year's crop in spring, leaving tons of potatoes unused. This year's harvest also faces sales difficulties, impacting agriculture in Akhalkalaki. The local potato prices can't cover production costs due to competition with cheaper Russian imports. The National Statistics Service data reveals a sixfold increase in potato imports and a fivefold decrease in exports from Georgia between January and October twenty twenty-three compared to the same period last year, further complicating the situation for local farmers.

Aaand that's it for this week!

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Nakhvamdis!