GEORGIA: EU on Demonstrations & more – 12th Dec 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 12th of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Tuesday, the 10th, the Diplomatic Service of the European Union issued a statement regarding the ongoing protests in Georgia, urging the government to de-escalate the situation. The statement focused on the arrest of protesters and the violence committed against them, while stating that those responsible for the violence (mainly police officers and groups associated with them) remain unpunished. Of the 400 people arrested, 300 had physical injuries and needed medical treatment.

The statement also referenced reports from civil society organizations and the Public Defender’s office about potential cases of torture and inhuman treatment of detainees. It also said that it was the actions of the Georgian government that led to the suspension of EU accession talks and that the EU will discuss further actions regarding Georgia on the 16th of December during the Foreign Relations Council meeting.

In response to the demonstrations, the sham parliament of the Georgian Dream, or Kotsebi, plans to introduce two new laws. The first law would ban the wearing of masks or any face coverings during demonstrations. Prime Minister Kobakhidze said that the mask has become so widespread that it complicates police work, as they cannot tell who is taking part in the demonstration and who is just a passerby. He made this statement on Sunday the 8th, just one day after a group wearing masks attacked two opposition media journalists. A video of the attack triggered massive backlash across all segments of society. You can check it out with the link in the show notes.

The second law will introduce a new license for importing and selling fireworks, with administrative fines for those who fail to comply. This law responds to protesters using fireworks in confrontations with the police.

President Zourabishvili hosted a reception at the presidential palace and honored dozens of Georgian journalists with medals for their civil service. The award recognizes journalists for their high sense of responsibility and personal bravery. In over ten days of protests, police forces and groups associated with the government injured or directly assaulted more than seventy journalists who were covering the events. Some of the attendees still showed signs of assault by police and violent groups linked to the regime.

The President emphasized that the country's future depends on journalists and their ability to expose the brutal crackdown on demonstrators and activists. She acknowledged the challenges of reporting under such violence and thanked them for their bravery.

Speaking of journalists, on the same day, Mariam Nikuridze, the co-founder and editor of OC Media, an English-language online news platform covering the North and South Caucasus region, was interrogated by the police in the presence of a judge about the protests.

Several days earlier, during a massive crackdown on protesters, Nikuridze posted on Facebook that she saw her name on a list of people wanted by the police. She said she left her home and sought a safe place. Later, she received a call from the police, summoning her for interrogation. She agreed to the procedure, but only with a judge present.

According to Nikuridze, the police asked general questions, seeking confirmation that the demonstrations were violent and that protesters were not obeying lawful orders, saying this justified dispersing the demonstration.

Still on the media, on Wednesday, the 11th, Gogi Gabunia, the general director of the biggest oppositional channel MTAVARI, accused Zaza Okruashvili, one of the channel’s founders, of attempting to shut down the station at the behest of Bidzina Ivanishvili. Gabunia said that Okruashvili appointed Gogi Kurdadze as director to execute his personal agenda and undermine the station.

Kurdadze is allegedly blocking financial operations, including stopping employee health insurance, and ignoring staff requests. Gabunia vowed to continue the fight for the channel and its audience, despite the challenges posed by Okuashvili's actions.

Since we mentioned Ivanishvili, on Wednesday, the 11th, the Élysée Palace released a statement about a phone call between him and French President Macron. During the call, Macron expressed concerns about recent developments in Georgia, the suppression of peaceful protests, and the disproportionate use of force by the police. He called for the release of individuals arrested during the demonstrations and stated that the government’s current and future actions would impact relations between Georgia and the EU. Both sides agreed to maintain contact and discuss progress regarding the situation.

The fact that the call took place between Macron and Ivanishvili, who holds the honorary title of party founder and no other official position, might signal that EU leaders recognize Ivanishvili as the only decision-maker.

On Tuesday, the 10th, Peter Siarto, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that his country would block any EU sanctions against members of the Georgian government. Siarto said that Brussels was putting heavy pressure on Kotsebi, which he described as a patriotic and conservative government. He confirmed that discussions about sanctions were ongoing but emphasized that, since the EU requires unanimity from all member states, Hungary would veto any such measures.

The discussion about sanctions resurfaced after Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, stated that the violence against peaceful protesters and journalists clearly warranted sanctions.

Also on Tuesday, the Georgian State Security Service issued a statement revealing that an ongoing investigation into a planned violent overthrow of the government uncovered a plot to disrupt the inauguration of the new president on Saturday the 14th. Organizers aim to escalate tensions by causing the deaths of two to three individuals, which would be used to radicalize protests. The Security service urges the public to remain vigilant, avoid participating in criminal activities, and report suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

In other news, on Wednesday, the 11th, Gogi Gakharia, the leader of the opposition party For Georgia or Saqartvelostvis, gave an interview on the opposition channel Pirveli, where he said that over 100 people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs handed in their resignations in protest of recent events. However, the higher-ups are not signing the papers and refuse to let them go so that they don’t give a sign of inner discontent happening in Ministry. He based his allegations on private sources.

He also stated that the damage to the police's reputation made during the brutal crackdown on demonstrations would take years to repair and emphasized that the first step after new elections must be to reform and fully depoliticize the institution.

On Monday, the 9th, Maria Aliokhina, a member of the Russian anti-government feminist band Pussy Riot, couldn’t enter Georgia. She shared a document confirming this on Instagram, where the official reason given was that she did not meet the "other conditions" set out by Georgian legislation. This vague reasoning is often used by the border service to deny entry to individuals for political reasons.

She said that while Russian state propagandists are free to visit Georgia and cover the ongoing protests in the country, people who can actually report the truth about the ongoing violence against demonstrators are not given the opportunity to do so.

Almost 1,000 artists worldwide, including actors, writers, musicians, and directors, have signed a petition in solidarity with the protests in Georgia, denouncing the violence against demonstrators. The statement declares that Georgians are fighting to free themselves from Russia's imperialistic policies.

It also emphasizes that Georgian artists who are critical of the government have faced oppression for several years and have been expelled from cultural institutions. Additionally, they now endure police brutality, arrests, and threats of physical violence due to their active role in protests.

The petition also denounced the Anti-LGBT law, which has reinstated censorship and criminalized queer people, trampled their rights, and repressed the culture.

And to wrap up this edition, The Georgian Tourism Association conducted a study among its 256 member organizations to assess how the current political situation is affecting the tourism industry, which plays a crucial role in Georgia's economy. According to their findings, the ongoing instability has caused between thirty-five to one hundred percent of bookings for the current period to be canceled or rescheduled. Additionally, cancellations of future bookings varied between ten and thirty-five percent depending on the organization.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

We hope you are enjoying the Rorshok Georgia Update as much as we enjoy making it. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform to keep up with what's going on in Georgia.

Nakhvamdis!