Pardon for Misha & more – 2nd Nov 2023

Gamarjobat from Oberlin! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 2nd of November twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Tuesday the 31st, Nika Gvaramia, founder of the TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, asked President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon former President Misha Saakashvili, currently in jail with ill health. In the TV First show, Gvaramia said that pardoning Misha is the only correct course of action, and it would show that Zourabichvili truly cares about Georgia’s EU integration. Mamuka Mdinaradze, Georgian Dream, Otsneba's Executive Secretary, warned Zourabichvili against pardoning Misha saying, “If she pardons Saakashvili, she will take responsibility for Saakashvili's actions between two thousand three-twenty twelve and the harm done since then.”

On Sunday, the 29th, in an interview with CBS News, Zourabishvili raised concerns about Russia's use of hybrid warfare tactics to test the waters in Georgia. She highlighted the challenge of maintaining a delicate balance between having so many Russian immigrants in Georgia and preventing any incidents that could enable Russia to wage war against Georgia under the premise of defending Russian citizens. She also called for more public recognition from the U.S. to support Georgia's candidate status within the EU. She emphasized the importance of high-level endorsements to resonate with the Georgian population.

On Tuesday the 31st, CyberKmara, a YouTube channel known for publishing covert recordings related to Bidzina Ivanishvili's Government and its ties to Moscow, released an unverified audio recording. The audio recording, dated March twenty twenty-two, challenged the Georgian Government's claim that Russia had unilaterally decided to resume direct flights to Georgia in April of the same year. The conversation in the recording featured Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Zurab Abashidze, Georgia's Special Representative for Russia, discussing the resumption of air travel between the two countries. Karasin sought Abashidze's advice in light of the tense situation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and they agreed to delay discussions on direct flights until the situation stabilized. Abashidze later confirmed the conversation, asserting that Russia had decided to resume flights with Georgia unilaterally as the consultations on the subject were on hold.

On Thursday, the 26th, The EU Delegation to Georgia confirmed that they consulted with the Georgian Government before adopting controversial amendments to the Broadcasting Law. For instance, the law grants the Georgian regulator, the National Communications Commission, control over “obscene” content instead of giving it to media self-regulation bodies. They further clarified that EU Directives gave member states flexibility in turning directives into national laws. The Delegation emphasized the need to align with the audiovisual media services directive while regulating the protection of minors and hate speech. During consultations, the EU stressed the importance of enhancing the independence of the Georgian regulator.

For context, earlier in October, the Parliament passed amendments that expanded the authority of the National Communications Commission. This raised concerns among NGOs such as the Social Justice Center. Otsneba said that the opposition has since exaggerated the issue since the ruling party had consulted with EU officials beforehand.

On Wednesday, the 1st, the Parliament approved an amendment to the "On Georgian Citizenship" Law, in its third reading, reducing the required residency period for foreign citizens seeking Georgian citizenship from ten to five years. Once the minimum residency requirement is met, the Public Service Development Agency will verify applicants' knowledge of the Georgian language, Georgian history, and basic legal principles as part of the citizenship process.

On Friday, the 27th, The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information, or IDFI, released two reports investigating the acceptance of gifts by public officials. According to the document, between twenty twenty-twenty twenty-two, forty-nine judges or their family members received gifts worth five million laris, around two million U.S. dollars—these gifts could be bribes. Most of these presents came from family members or close relatives and included cash, real estate, and vehicles. The IDFI recommends increased monitoring and enforcement of legal restrictions on gifts to curb potential corrupt activities.

On Thursday, the 26th, Transparency International-Georgia published a report evaluating the activities of the parliamentary council on open governance. The council is a consultative body that brings together Members of Parliament and civil society actors. The report covers the period from June twenty twenty-two to July twenty twenty-three and reveals that the council didn’t address the diminishing transparency of the Parliament and legislative process. The Parliament no longer considers suggestions from the civil society, and the council ignores the degradation of the openness and transparency of the Parliament. During the reporting period, the council held four sessions and had five working groups to fulfill obligations stated in the Open Parliament Action Plan, such as improving parliament’s monitoring capabilities over government spending and ensuring the involvement of citizens in the law-making process. Out of the nineteen obligations in the plan, only ten were fully met.

On Friday, the 27th, Russian Infrastructure Development LLC signed an agreement with with Abkhazia to reconstruct Sokhumi airport. The Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Abkhazia's authorities are collaborating to restore the airfield's operational capability. This includes reconstructing the runway to accommodate modern Russian and foreign aircraft. Additionally, the project involves building a new passenger terminal, establishing a park area around it, and renovating the historic airport building. The airport's capacity is set to handle 1,300 passengers per hour. Abkhazia's Parliament ratified the agreement earlier in the year, with the investor's identity initially kept confidential.

On Saturday, the 28th, locals unveiled a bust in honor of one of Georgia's national heroes, Giorgi Antsukhelidze, in his native village in Kvemo Alvani. They organized traditional events in the village's center, including a horse race, dancing, and handcraft exhibition, as a tribute to his memory. Giorgi Antsukhelidze's family, fellow villagers, local government representatives, and members of political parties attended these events, which have been taking place annually since twenty ten, establishing a meaningful tradition. Occupying forces in Tskhinvali tortured Antsukhelidze, a junior sergeant in the Georgian Armed Forces, to death in August two thousand eight. They relocated his body from Tskhinvali to Kvemo Alvani in November two thousand eight and released video footage of his torture online in two thousand nine. Following his tragic death, he posthumously received the title of Georgia's national hero.

On Wednesday, the 1st, The Emergency Management Service announced that the Internal Affairs’ Ministry is actively localizing a forest fire that broke out on the mountain slope in the Lugela Valley in Chkhorotsku municipality. According to the agency, around 150 firefighters equipped with special tools, drones, and two border police helicopters are trying to extinguish the fire. However, rugged terrain poses a challenge in bringing the fire-rescue equipment to the site. However, the agency mentions that they will continuously monitor the area throughout the night.

On Wednesday, the 1st of November, Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, tweeted that Starlink high-speed Internet is now available in Georgia. The official Starlink page provides service pricing details, with restrictions in occupied regions. The company received permission to offer internet services in Georgia in July twenty twenty-two. The Communications Commission highlighted the significance of Starlink in mountainous and underserved areas, making high-speed Internet accessible to previously unreached locations in Georgia.

And that's it for this week!

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