Russian Occupying Forces Kill Georgian Citizen & more – 9th Nov 2023

Gamarjobat from Dulles! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 9th of November twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

According to the Georgian State Security Service, on Monday, the 6th, Russian occupying forces killed a Georgian citizen in Kirbali, Gori region near Tskhinvali, which Russian forces have occupied since two thousand eight. Reportedly, Russian soldiers killed Tamaz Ginturi, and abducted Levan Dotiashvili. The victims were at a closed St. George of Lomisi church, trying to open the doors of the church to pray. According to reports, Russian forces opened fire on Ginturi’s car near the church. The locals say Russian forces might have abducted two more local civilians. President Salome Zourabichvili urged the international community to condemn Russia's actions. The Government of Georgia requested a meeting involving Russian forces and the EU Monitoring Mission. The Social Justice Center (or SJC), a local human rights watchdog, warns that illegal arrests and abductions cause constant fear and danger among the population living near the border between the occupied territory and Georgia. The SJC holds the Russian Federation responsible under international human rights law for prolonged occupation violations. They also criticize the Georgian government for inadequate security efforts in these villages.

On Wednesday, the 8th, the European Commission said the EU Council should grant Georgia candidate status. The Commission supported Georgia's citizens' desire to join the EU, but it also said that the government needs to engage more with the opposition and civil society, and fulfill the twelve EU priorities. President Salome Zourabichvili hosted a gathering of Georgian citizens and diplomatic corps to celebrate the occasion. Zourabichvili launched a signature campaign titled Our Voice to Europe, calling on European leaders to grant Georgia EU membership candidate status in December. Moreover, she said that she would attend the Peace Forum in Paris with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili as a sign of depolarization, one of the twelve priorities the Georgian government received from the EU.

On Thursday the 2nd, Transparency International-Georgia or TI, an anti-corruption watchdog organization, updated its list of alleged high-level corruption cases involving government officials and their relatives. The list now includes 151 cases. TI points out that even though Georgia has low levels of petty corruption, high-level corruption goes unpunished, amounting to "state capture." TI’s Corruption Perception Index shows that Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party, has influenced key institutions. They stress that high-level corruption appears as "kleptocracy," undermining critical voices, and investigations often stall, especially when linked to the ruling party. Experts recommend transferring corruption investigation powers to an independent agency. Currently, this responsibility falls on the State Security Service and the Prosecutor's Office.

On Monday the 6th, a local human rights NGO called The Human Rights Center, or HRC, released a report on the police’s actions during the protests that took place from the 7th to the 9th of March against the bills "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" and "On Registration of Foreign Agents." The HRC said demonstrators were holding a peaceful rally when the police started blocking protesters and using pepper spray and water cannons without warning. They noted police actions violated the principle that there needs to be an imminent threat to use water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray. The HRC emphasized that even though some demonstrators misbehaved, indiscriminate police force can escalate conflicts— which happened during the protests. The report argued that police actions lacked legal basis and raised concerns about the police’s use of force.

On Thursday the 2nd, Civil.ge, a UN Association of Georgia news project, shared USAID's October report on Georgia's Civil Society Organizations or CSOs Sustainability Index twenty twenty-two. CSO is a uniquely American Government term used for what everybody else calls NGOs or civic organizations. The report assesses the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine on Georgia's policies, expressing concerns about the government's "policy of restraint" or appeasement towards Russia by allowing direct flights and not imposing national sanctions despite strong public support for Ukraine. It covers Georgia's EU membership application and the influx of Ukrainian refugees and Russian citizens, affecting political polarization and economic activity. The report highlights democracy's deterioration, mainly due to the "foreign agent" law. The report says CSOs influence policy discussions, and media coverage centers on political debates, with government-friendly outlets engaging in smear campaigns against civil society groups.

On Thursday, the 2nd, famously brilliant Giorgi Lomsadze published an article titled Georgia: One war, two films, many opinions in Eurasianet, an independent organization covering news from and about Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Two films, Nana Janalidze’s "Liza, Go On" and Anna Dziapshipa’s "Self-Portrait along the Borderline," delve into the Abkhazia conflict's complex narratives. "Liza, Go On" explores the Georgian-Abkhaz war, addressing the brutal actions of both sides and challenging the Georgian perspective. The film sparked controversy and offers a message of healing and mutual forgiveness. "Self-Portrait along the Borderline" takes a personal approach, depicting the life of a Georgian-Abkhaz girl caught between identities during the war, offering a unique and impressionistic perspective on the conflict's impact on individuals.

Want to read the whole article? Link in the show notes!

In a piece published in the international Forbes, Liza Zimmerman tells the audience that Georgia, this off-the-beaten-path country, offers remarkable food and wine. Despite its Soviet history and political challenges, Georgian chefs and winemakers have been promoting their traditional cuisine and exceptional wines. Georgian restaurants in New York City and the Bay Area, like Oda House, Old Tbilisi Garden, and Bevri, introduced Americans to the delicious flavors of the Caucasus region, featuring dishes like Khinkali and Khachapuri. Culinary Backstreets, a global guide to local cuisines, offers guided food tours and provides insights into local culture and politics. The tours include stops at places like Sky Bar, Dumas, and Rigi, showcasing the diversity of Tbilisi's culinary scene.

To check out the piece, follow the link in the show notes!

On Sunday the 5th, Interpressnews, a local news agency, reported that the annual festival to celebrate the Georgian alcoholic beverage Chacha took place in Telavi, in Kakheti region. The Chacha twenty twenty-three festival showcased participants from all eight Kakheti municipalities, including farmers, and small wineries. Kakheti Governor Giorgi Aladashvili and regional officials attended the inauguration musical procession. Local entrepreneurs presented their products, with chacha as the highlight, and the festival awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals to individuals and companies for the best chacha. The "New Theater" performed theatrical acts. The Georgian Chamber of Culture, the Tourism Development Association, and the Administration of the State Trustee in the Kakheti region organized the festival.

Locals from Balda Canyon, in Martvili municipality have been fighting to preserve the canyon for several months. Recently, the authorities handed over the canyon to a private company, Canyon 350, for forty years. Even though the government had given some investors permission to build tourist infrastructures in the Balda Canyon, on Friday the 3rd, protesters prevented one investor from entering the canyon. Locals oppose this deal, saying the company will ruin Balda Canyon's as a natural sight. The group also accused the investor and his employees of assaulting them the previous day. Protestors said they blocked the highway only for the investor and his employees, and law enforcement officers are asking them to leave the roadway.

On Tuesday the 7th, Galt&Taggart predicted twenty twenty-three tourism revenues for Georgia at 4.2 billion US dollars, with the third quarter of the year showing a 5% year-over-year increase to 1.5 billion US dollars. Tourists from Russia took the largest share, 285 million US dollars, followed by Turkey at 220 million and the European Union at 212 million US dollars.

And that's it for this week!

Do you want to avoid having ads in these updates? Well, experts say that if you recommend us to everyone you know, then we won’t have to include ads in the shows. So spread the word about these updates. Don’t blame us, it’s science.

Subscribe in any of the platforms you are listening to, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, Amazon, it would really help.

Nakhvamdis!