President Says PM’s Statements Align with Putin & more– 8th June 2023

Gamarjobat from the Gothic Quarter! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 8th of June twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

We start this week's episode with international news..

On Thursday, the 1st, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili visited Moldova to participate in the 2nd European Political Community Summit. PM Garibashvili said he supported the Ukrainian people, hoped the war would end soon, and asked for the establishment of peace. Garibashvili said the government was committed to unifying the country and peacefully reclaiming Georgian territories. He stressed the importance of regaining control over the unmonitored border, which stretches up to 300 kilometers. Finally, he urged the EU member states to grant membership candidate status to Georgia and noted that his European colleagues agreed that not granting the status to the country would be "another injustice and a big strategic mistake."

On Thursday the 1st and Friday the 2nd, President Salome Zourabichvili gave interviews to the French television channels Franceinfo, LCI, and France24. During the interviews, Zourabichvili discussed several topics, including Georgia's EU path and the status of its EU candidacy, Misha, and Prime Minister Garibashvili. Zourabichvili noted that Garibashvili's statement regarding the invasion of Ukraine at the GLOBSEC summit aligned with Putin’s views. When asked about Misha, she said she’d rather improve his conditions and treatment than give him an outright amnesty. However, she acknowledged Misha's role in Georgia's reform movement and his recognition by the international community. Additionally, she emphasized the sensitivity of political impunity in post-Soviet countries.

On Saturday, the 3rd, the Prime Minister attended the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. Following the ceremony, President Erdoğan hosted a dinner at the Cankaya Presidential Palace for high-level guests. Erdoğan personally invited Garibashvili to participate in the event, who headed the Georgian delegation. Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili also emphasized the significance of Garibashvili's attendance, highlighting Turkey's importance as a strategic partner and an essential player in the Black Sea region. Darchiashvili said that political cooperation between Georgia and Turkey would bring solid impulses for the two countries to strengthen regional security jointly.

On Tuesday the 6th, the PM blamed the explosion at the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine on Russia's "brutal and destructive war." He stressed that the conflict had caused significant damage, destroying twenty percent of Ukraine's territory. Garibashvili called for peace and urged all parties to negotiate an end to the conflict instead of escalating it. Russia's blowing up a dam on the Dnieper River drew strong condemnation from President Salome Zourabichvili, who labeled it as yet another severe war crime.

Moving on to protests in Tbilisi.

On Thursday, the 1st, police detained Beka Grigoriadis on administrative charges after he attempted to set up a tent near the Parliament building to protest the detention of his son, Lazare Grigoriadis, who had been arrested for participating in protests against the "foreign agents" law that took place in March this year. Beka Grigoriadis was arrested on charges of disobeying the police, and the Tbilisi City Court fined him 2,000 lari, about 800 US dollars, for attempting to erect a tent in front of the Parliament building. On Friday the 2nd, police detained several peaceful protesters, including representatives from civil society organizations, in front of the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue. The demonstrators had gathered to show support for Beka Grigoriadis and his right to freedom of expression. On Sunday, the 4th, police released human rights defenders and activists who had held paper banners at a rally after spending forty-eight hours in pretrial detention.

On Monday the 5th, Transparency International Georgia, or TIG, a local watchdog, released a report stating that the Parliament of Georgia has become more closed off to the media that criticize the government. TIG notes that the revised accreditation regulations that pertain to the journalists working in the Parliament adopted in twenty twenty-three intensified systematic interference in journalistic activities, introduced punitive mechanisms against opposition media, and restricted access to information. The organization mentioned that the Georgian Dream or Otsneba adopted the rules without prior discussion, speculating that they would use them to restrict opposing media. TIG found that the Parliament suspended the accreditation of eleven opposition media representatives since the rule came into effect, but the legislature has not provided any information on the current situation of the media representatives. TIG argued that the public wasn’t well informed because of the lack of transparency.

On Tuesday, the 6th, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze revealed four legal amendments aimed at simplifying the process of obtaining citizenship for Georgians living abroad. The proposed changes require applicants to take a test at the State Services Development Agency before submitting a full application. If the applicant fails the test, the Agency will not proceed with the formal citizenship procedures. Applicants can retake the exam as many times as they want in a year. As part of its commitment to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Government allows stateless individuals to obtain citizenship after five years of residency in the country instead of the current ten-year requirement. Opposition groups said that the Government plans to grant citizenship to Russian nationals of Georgian ancestry en masse to secure their support in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. According to Business Media Georgia, a local media outlet, Georgia granted citizenship to 3,297 Russian citizens from the 24th of February, twenty twenty-two, to the 8th of February, twenty twenty-three.

On Wednesday, the 7th, Information Integrity Coalition and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, or ISFED, published a study on the Government's Communication Departments in different ministries and agencies. The study revealed that government strategic communication departments do not perform their duties adequately. Additionally, the Departments of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Interior produce communication materials rarely and are not active. Minimal posts related to countering Russian hybrid threats were found. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was the most active Stratcom Facebook page.

Let's move to some regional news.

On Tuesday, the 6th, the Prime Minister visited Gelati Monastery, a twelfth-century historic monument in Imereti Region, near Kutaisi and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He then announced the development of a plan for the conservation of the Gelati Monastery complex. According to the government's official statement, the plan will prioritize research-based restoration. The Georgian Government had previously started the conservation process in February but later faced difficulties, resulting in the Patriarchate taking over the lead. Garibashvili expressed complete support for the Patriarchate in managing the rehabilitation process.

Between Monday, the 5th, and Wednesday, the 7th, several municipalities in central and eastern Georgia experienced heavy rainfall, hail, and strong winds causing damage to buildings and resulting in floods in residential homes. In the Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, a tree uprooted by strong winds fell on the visitor center, damaging its roof, ceiling, and inventory. Several villages in the same municipality were also affected by overnight rainfall and winds, resulting in floods in entrance floors and basements of residential homes, agricultural beds, vineyards, and greenhouses. Additionally, electricity poles and wires were damaged. Finally, hail and heavy rain hit about ten villages in central Georgia's Gori Municipality on Monday, causing damage to fruit trees, vineyards, and plants in yards of residences.

We end with an announcement for those who love movies.

On Saturday the 10th, Caucasus Cinema, a free, independent filmmaking organization in Georgia, will host an event in Tbilisi where you can see movies made by thirty filmmakers who shot numerous short films and videos throughout Georgia for five weeks. The event will take place at the Georgian Film Academy, Dzmebi Kakabadzeebi St. 2. at seven pm. All you need to do is register for your free ticket at Caucasuscinema.com and enjoy! We’ll leave the link to the website in our show notes.

Aaaand that's it for this week. You know, every week, we work hard to pick what the most important stuff is in Georgia. What's talked about the most, what's big but flies under the radar. All the main stuff. Are we getting the mix right? Not a specific thing we have missed? what types of information do you want more or less of? Let us know at georgia@rorshok.com

Nakhvamdis!