GEORGIA: The Magnitsky List & more – 24th Dec 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 24th of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Friday, the 20th, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights released their final report on Georgia's parliamentary elections, raising serious concerns. The report pointed out how recent laws, like the Russian and anti-LGBTQ laws, have hurt basic freedoms, civil society, and the independence of election bodies. The report also mentioned problems with handling election complaints and the violent crackdown on protests.

Opposition parties and President Zurabishvili slammed the elections, calling them the worst in Georgia this century, pointing to issues like biased media, voter intimidation, and the ruling party's unfair advantages.

However, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the report recognized the elections as free and competitive, giving the results legitimacy.

On the same day, The European Commission proposed suspending the visa-free regime for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports and their family members. If approved by the Council, Georgian diplomats, officials, and their families will need a visa to visit EU countries. The proposal also includes removing benefits like short application times, low visa fees, and fewer document requirements.

However, this decision will not affect regular citizens, who will still enjoy visa-free travel for short stays. At this point, this measure seems to be symbolic, as experts note that even with the introduction of visa requirements for diplomatic passports, officials can continue to travel visa-free with their normal passports, unless a specific blacklist is created.

On Thursday, the 19th, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Vakhang Gomelauri, Georgia’s Interior Minister, and Mirza Kezevadze, the Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department, adding them to the Magnitsky List for human rights abuses, corruption, and other serious crimes. The sanctions freeze any assets these officials hold in the U.S. and ban transactions involving them. The U.K. also placed sanctions on these and three other high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. All of these individuals were responsible for the violent crackdown on pro-European protesters.

In response, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended them, saying they would be nominated for the Order of Honor and that the state would cover any financial losses from the sanctions. He also appointed Gomelauri to the post of Vice Prime Minister.

Next up, on Friday, the 20th, the European Quality Assurance Registrar suspended the registration of Georgia's National Center for Education Quality Enhancement because it did not meet European standards. Experts say political decisions have affected the center’s system, harming its independence.

This means Georgia’s higher education institutions are no longer fully aligned with European standards, which could hurt the country's education reputation and its international image. It also raises concerns about Georgian degrees being recognized abroad, especially in EU countries, and could affect international programs.

The National Center responded, saying the issues have already been fixed and they’re optimistic the suspension will be temporary. They plan to appeal the decision.

In other news, on Thursday, the 19th, Tamar Jakeli, the director of Tbilisi Pride, made a post on Facebook about Irakli Rukhadze, the owner of IMEDI, Georgia's largest channel and a key source of state propaganda. Jakeli revealed that Rukhadze’s daughter is openly lesbian, lives in the U.S. with her wife, and is currently trying to adopt a child.

Jakeli called out Rukhadze's hypocrisy, pointing out that his channel often spreads anti-LGBTQ propaganda, fueling violence and discrimination against marginalized groups, while Rukahdze himself has a lesbian daughter.

The narrative that the West is trying to erase Georgia’s conservative culture and promote same-sex relationships is widely accepted among ruling party voters. It is frequently used to attack pro-European movements and accuse them of being anti-Georgian.

Also on Thursday, Georgia's two largest banks, TBC and Bank of Georgia, announced they will allocate five million Lari, which is about 1.8 million dollars, to support citizens and businesses affected by the ongoing political unrest and violent police crackdown in the country.

According to TBC’s statement, the funds will help small and medium-sized businesses, as well as foundations offering legal, financial, and health assistance to citizens caught up in the protests.

This move comes as the banks did not officially join the statement made by other businesses calling for the immediate release of all the detained individuals and the setting of snap elections. It's likely this decision was made to avoid potential PR issues arising from that choice.

On another topic, on Thursday, the 19th, there was a shooting in the parliament of the break-away region of Abkhazia, which resulted in one death and one injury. The incident happened when the parliament was discussing a bill to ban cryptocurrency mining, which causes unsustainable strain on Abkhazia’s electricity grid. During the session, a fight broke out between deputies Kan Kvarchia and Adgur Kharaia, with this last one drawing a gun. Another Deputy, Vakhtang Golandzia, attempted to intervene but was fatally wounded.

According to Russian media, Kharaia supported the bill, while Kvarchia criticized it as populist, which led to the initial confrontation. Kharaia fled the scene after the incident, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

The National Statistics Office extended the population census deadline to the 31st of December and reopened the self-registration portal due to people’s reluctance to open their doors to census enumerators. Gogita Todradze, the head of the Statistics Office, explained that this hesitation mainly stems from a mistrust of letting strangers into homes, with some political factors also influencing the situation.

In the past, there have been cases where the police posed as gas company workers to enter and search the homes of people actively participating in protests. As a result, many have become cautious about allowing strangers into their homes, even for legitimate reasons.

On another note, on Sunday, the 22nd, Kakhа Kaladze, Tbilisi’s Mayor and the Secretary-General of the Georgian Dream or the Kotsebi, met MMA superstar Khamzat Chimaev, who is close to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Chimaev shared a photo with Kaladze on Instagram, thanking Georgia for its warm welcome. Chimaev has often expressed admiration for Kadyrov, calling him his big brother and crediting him with reviving his career during difficult times. He was also present in a famous video, where Kadyrov threatened to kill a fifteen-year-old for criticizing him on social media.

On Tuesday the 24th, the newly elected chairman of the municipality council in Abasha, a town in western Georgia, resigned from his position, saying he’d already done everything he could. Levan Makalatia, from the Kotsebi, served just three weeks in the role after being elected on the 3rd of December, before deciding he had done enough.

In business news, on Sunday, the 22nd, Lasha Berekashvili, the director of the tourist agency Travel to Georgia, stated in the interview with bm.ge that the tourism industry is facing significant losses due to current political uncertainty and things are getting as bad as during COVID-19 pandemic. Bookings have been canceled, causing small and medium-sized businesses to close. Restaurants and sector workers are struggling financially.

In Kutaisi and Imereti, the situation is particularly severe, with some hotels laying off staff and closing until spring. Berekashvili mentioned his company canceled all international exhibition participation due to financial uncertainty.

Wrapping up, just five days after Gori the Art House opened an exhibition on Georgian protests in Gori, a town in the central region, the city hall decided to cancel its contract with them. The exhibition displayed phrases from various protests in Georgia’s history, written in red paint on the walls, resembling blood. The City hall claimed the right to cancel the contract at any time and stated that it needed the space for other purposes.

However, the Art House argued that the city's decision was politically motivated and planned to take legal action. The building had been abandoned and used as a trash dump until twenty sixteen when the Gori Art House transformed it into a cultural hub. The Art House views the city's decision as an attack on free expression and creativity.

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

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Nakhvamdis!