GEORGIA: The European People’s Party Resolution & more – 16th Jan 2025

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 16th of January twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Thursday, the 9th, President Zurabishvili discussed her intention to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on the 20th of January. She received an invitation to the event from Congressman Joe Wilson, who has been highly critical of the Georgian Dream or the Kotsebi government for the past few months.

He stated that after the fraudulent parliamentary elections in Georgia, Zurabishvili remains the country’s only legitimate representative. She shared her plans to meet with foreign colleagues in Washington, update them on the current tense situation in Georgia, and ask for their support in holding new, fair elections.

While we are on the topic of the US, according to Radio Free Europe, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State nominee, received a letter from US Congress informing him of the authoritarian governance, election fraud, and Georgia’s shift towards China, Russia, and Iran. The letter, sent on Thursday, the 9th, listed twenty-five individuals in Georgia’s political and business circles, identified as enablers of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s regime.

These individuals include political leaders, corrupt financial figures, propagandists, and those working within repressive government systems. The letter highlights recent developments in Georgia, such as disputed elections, pro-European demonstrations, and the repression of peaceful protesters. It urges Rubio to sanction these individuals, emphasizing that even though the U.S. imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili in December of twenty twenty-four, this network of enablers still upholds his power.

In other International news. On Tuesday, the 14th, the European People’s Party or EPP passed an emergency resolution about the political situation in Georgia after the deeply flawed parliamentary elections. The EPP said the new Kotsebi parliament and president lack democratic legitimacy and should not be recognized internationally. They called for new elections and continued sanctions on the Kotsebi officials responsible for democratic decline and human rights violations, including Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The resolution condemned the crackdown on protests, illegal detentions, and abuse, and backedZurabishvili as the legitimate president. The EPP also urged stopping financial support for the Kotsebi and strengthening ties with Georgia’s media and civil society.

Tensions in Georgian politics spilled over into violence abroad. On Sunday, the 12th, Georgian citizen Lasha Gabitashvili posted a video on Facebook where he confronted the Kotsebi’s MPs in Abu Dhabi, who were there for a Coldplay concert. In the video, Gabitashvili called them traitors and criminals.

The next day, the same MPs—Irakli Zarkua, Viktor Sanikidze, and Gela Samkharauli—retaliated by physically assaulting Gabitashvili while he was having breakfast with his wife at a hotel. The incident was recorded and shared on social media.

Local police are investigating the case of group assault. It’s unclear whether the perpetrators have been arrested, but they’ve certainly been questioned. Gabitashvili says he will pursue all legal options.

You can check out the video of the attack with the link in the show notes.

On the topic of political violence, on Wednesday, the 15th, Gogi Gakharia, the leader of the opposition party For Georgia or Sakartvelostvis, was attacked at the Sheraton Hotel in the western city of Batumi. A journalist present at the scene says that Dimitri Samkharadze, the Kotsebi’s MP, and Gogi Manvelidze, the Deputy Minister of Finance in Adjara, were involved in the assault. Gakharia was hospitalized with a broken nose and a mild concussion.

Before the attack, Manvelidze had also assaulted journalist Zviad Khoridze in the same hotel lobby. Gakharia's party members hold the Kotsebi responsible and demand an immediate investigation. Natia Mezvrishvili, a Sakartvelostvis party member, said that the evidence at the scene, including video recording, was destroyed. The police have launched an investigation, and Gakharia left the hospital voluntarily after treatment.

There was another incident in Batumi last week. On Saturday, the 11th, Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the prominent local newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, known for criticizing government corruption and human rights abuses, was arrested. She was initially detained for putting a protest sticker on a wall, but was released shortly after. However, she was arrested again later that day during a scuffle at a demonstration in front of the police station.

Amaglobeli was accused of attacking a police officer. She said that she was stuck in the crowd and someone grabbed her hand, which she tried to remove and accidentally struck the police officer. Tamar Tsolukidze, her lawyer, insists there is no evidence of a crime. She is currently facing criminal charges and may face four to six years in prison.

On Sunday, the 12th, someone leaked information that corrupt judges working for the regime were holding a corporate event at a restaurant. Protesters, including the parents of individuals arrested during pro-European demonstrations, gathered in front of the restaurant with banners reading Corrupt judiciary undermines democracy.

As judges arrived, they had to enter the restaurant amid chants and boos from the protesters. However, this did not seem to detain them.

Soon after, a strong police force gathered near the restaurant. During the protest, nine individuals were arrested for administrative offenses, and one was sentenced to twelve days in jail.

On Tuesday, the 14th, Amnesty International called for the immediate release of all individuals arrested in Georgia for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression and assembly. The organization criticized the Georgian government for using excessive force against protesters and for introducing laws that criminalize symbolic acts like posting stickers on public buildings.

Amnesty also condemned a new law, passed on the 30th of December, twenty twenty-four, that allows the police to make preventive arrests. The group highlighted the recent arrest of over twenty people in Tbilisi and Batumi, including activists, journalists, and opposition members.

On another note, on Wednesday, the 15th, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Georgia must not extradite Afqan Sadigov, an Azerbaijani journalist, to his homeland. Sadigov was detained in Georgia in twenty twenty-three on behalf of Azerbaijan, where he is wanted on charges of threatening and extortion. He faces the risk of political persecution in Azerbaijan due to his critical reporting on the Azerbaijani government.

On Wednesday, the Tbilisi Court of Appeals rejected Sadigov's appeal against the denial of refugee or humanitarian status. Prior to this decision, he appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, requesting interim measures to prevent extradition. Once Georgian legal proceedings are concluded, the European Court will make a final decision.

Also on Wednesday, a nationwide strike began at 3:00 PM in Georgia, demanding new parliamentary elections. Hundreds of companies halted work for three hours as part of the protest. The strike involved workers from various sectors, including employees of the two largest banks, TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia. In Tbilisi, a group of protesters on Dolidze Street were attacked by unknown individuals, with video footage showing physical violence and verbal abuse. One attacker was seen holding a baseball bat. The attackers were likely thugs who are associated with the current regime.

Follow the link in the show notes to watch the video.

Finally, cultural news. The winners of the prestigious Duruji Theater Award, founded by businessman Lasha Papashvili in two thousand eight, have returned their awards in protest. Papashvili, a supporter of the Kotsebi, made controversial statements in a recent interview, praising Bidzina Ivanishvili and calling him a historical figure. In response, the laureates accused him of backing the regime.

Nineteen artists returned the awards they received for their works on social issues, political courage, and artistic innovation. They also criticized Papashvili for supporting a government that has unlawfully detained, threatened, and humiliated their colleagues. Most of the laureates are currently on strike, and they are raising funds to help those still detained.

And that's it for this week!

Thanks for tuning into the Rorshok Georgia update. You can connect with us on social media as @rorshok_georgia on Instagram or @RorshokGeorgia on Twitter.

Nakhvamdis!