GEORGIA: Protests & more – 25th Apr 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 25th of April twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Thursday the 18th, a serious political clash unfolded in Georgia. Opposition parties and people took the streets accussing Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili of jeopardizing the country's European aspirations. The opposition unified under six political banners including Akhali, Girchi More-Freedom, Droa, the United National Movement or Natsebi, Lelo for Georgia, and Strategy Builder. At the protest, the people said that Ivanishvili´s parliament faction is aggressive and that he uses rough police force to push them down. They said this isn't just happening now, but it's how he always acts.

Right in the middle of this mess is the "Russian law" that the Georgian Dream or Otsneba brought up. The opposition says it breaks Georgia's Constitution and goes against what people want—to join the EU and NATO. Even though the law got through the first round, the opposition isn't backing down. They're gearing up to battle it out when it comes up again. They're really making their point with a simple shout: "Yes to Europe! No to the Russian law! No to the Russian government!"

Since we mentioned Ivanishvili, on Thursday the 18th, the conversation in Georgia shifted to financial transparency and potential conflicts of interest involving the Russian oligarch. International Transparency Georgia has raised alarms over recent tax code amendments that seem tailor-made for Ivanishvili's benefit. These changes, happening at the same time as the tricky "Russian law," are thought to help move Ivanishvili's offshore money back to Georgia, and he won’t have to pay a lot of taxes on it. These amendments could potentially open the doors wider to capital of dubious origin, including from Russian oligarchs, increasing risks of corruption and tax evasion.

Even though the changes are supposed to boost investment transparency, critics argue they actually serve the elite, allowing the import of luxury items like art, under the guise of business assets.

On Friday the 19th, Tbilisi witnessed even more heated protests against the "Russian law." Crowds of demonstrators, led by the student movement "Dafion," took to Rustaveli Avenue, blocking the road in front of the Parliament building. They chanted: "No to the Russian regime," "Long live the European Union," and "Long live Georgia." They announced plans to march all the way to the House of Justice. The protesters really set on keeping it up until the ruling party, the Georgian Dream or Otsneba, withdraws the draft law.

Just after a wave of protests, on Monday the 22nd, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority from Otsneba, announced a major rally on Sunday the 29th in support of the government's political course. This event, which will take place in front of the Parliament, aims to show support for transparency, nationalism, and the controversial ban on what they deem 'LGBT propaganda.' Mdinaradze is calling the public to support the "correct Georgian strong national course."

Speaking of this anti-LGTB stance, on Monday the 22nd, Kutaisi was buzzing because they started looking over some changes to the law that would deal with "LGBT propaganda." Shalva Papuashvili, the head of Parliament, and eight-three other lawmakers are pushing this, and they're going to talk about it more in places like Ambrolauri, Ozurgeti, Batumi, Zugdidi, and Mestia soon. Papuashvili says they want to keep family values strong, especially with all the different ideas coming from around the world. These changes aim to make sure the laws about marriage and the rights of moms and kids are tight

However, some people are really upset, calling it a step back from freedom and respect for everyone’s rights. There's quite a stir, with people arguing whether this is really about protecting families or just shutting down certain discussions.

Switching gears, on Sunday the 21st, there was a bomb threat in Tbilisi in twenty educational institutions and shopping centers that was spread via the Telegram messaging app. The State Security Service jumped into action, searching all the threatened locations throughout the night to ensure they were safe. Fortunately, no explosives were found, still, the fear was enough for many parents to decide to keep their kids at home the next day, just to be safe.

The Telegram channel responsible for spreading these threats has since been shut down.

In the middle of all this mess, there are some wild guesses going around, saying that the Otsneba, might have set up these threats to create chaos, especially to keep young people from joining protests that support Georgia's move towards Europe. Even with all the rumors lots of people, young and old, still showed up to the protests.

On Monday the 22nd, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had important talks with representatives from various countries at the UN headquarters. The talks focused on strengthening teamwork between Georgia and the UN, especially about the tense situation in Georgia’s occupied areas. This shows Georgia's dedication to dealing with these big problems and getting more international support and ideas through the United Nations.

On the same day, Georgia's Public Defender took a significant step by reaching out to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) for an evaluation of the controversial draft law proposing the abolition of gender quotas. This law, which sped through all three parliamentary readings by the 4th of April after its introduction on the 1st of April, faced strong opposition from the Public Defender, and on the 17th the president vetoed it.

The Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR are now involved and will publish a report with their conclusions. Until then, the Public Defender has urged the Parliament to halt further progress on the bill, emphasizing the importance of aligning legislative decisions with international human rights standards. The Public Defender's request for an external review underscores the deep ongoing tensions in Georgian politics regarding gender equality and legislative practices.

On Monday the 22nd, tensions escalated near the village of Dirbi in Kareli Municipality, where Russian occupation forces illegally arrested two Georgian citizens. The State Security Service of Georgia kicked off a hotline with the EU Monitoring Mission and let the leaders of the Geneva International Talks and other global partners know what happened. Right now, they're working to get the two Georgians released. Georgia is blaming Russia for all the harmful stuff going down in the occupied areas and along the occupation line.

On Wednesday the 24th, Lazare Grigoriadis, previously jailed for injuring police officers and damaging state property during the March protests, walked free from the Gldani penitentiary. His release came after President Salome Zurabishvili granted him a pardon, on the 12th of April. The twenty-one-year-old had been sentenced to nine years by Tbilisi City Court Judge Zviad Sharadze.

Just after his release, Lazare Grigoriadis wasted no time making his stance clear: "The battle continues. We will meet at the rallies." Speaking to journalists outside the Gldani prison, Grigoriadis expressed his gratitude to President Salome Zurabishvili for the pardon but didn't shy away from criticizing the system. He called out the judge's decision as politicized and blasted the controversial "Russian law" as a threat to Georgia's democratic values and its European aspirations. This marked his first public statement since his release from prison, clearly signaling his ongoing commitment to political activism.

And to close this edition, on Sunday the 21st, Tbilisi is going to have its first Design Festival on the 1st of May. Tamar Tsintsadze, the brain behind the Ad Black Sea Festival in Batumi, is setting up this new gig in the capital. The Festival will dive into communication design and user experience. Big-time designer Stefan Sagmeister will be there to give the main talk and tell the public about his book 'Now is Better.'

And that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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Nakhvamdis!