Georgia’s human rights ombudsman, Levan Ioselian, has since issued a statement condemning the police response as having “contradicted the standard of necessary and proportionate intervention.” The public defender called for an investigation into the use of “disproportionate force” and apparent targeting of journalists covering the events. Meanwhile, the mayor of Tbilisi, Georgian Dream politician Kakha … Read more
While Ivanishvili devoted his speech to calling out the enemies attacking Georgia, he didn’t namecheck Russia, even though Moscow occupies 20 percent of Georgian territories, backing local proxies in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He also vowed that the United National Movement, Georgia’s largest bloc of opposition MPs, would face “harsh political … Read more
Escalation violates standards Despite the criticism, Georgian Dream has insisted the new rules are needed to protect the country’s sovereignty. Parliamentarians are expected to vote in favor of the bill at a second reading Wednesday. In a bombastic speech at a rally outside the parliament on Monday night, prominent oligarch and former Prime Minister Bidzina … Read more
SYDNEY — The Asian Development Bank holds its annual meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, next week, with discussions on climate change and the world’s aging population high on the agenda. The four-day summit, starting Thursday, marks the first time that the ADB’s 68 members have gathered for a meeting in Georgia, which joined the multilateral development … Read more
“If we are told that tomorrow we will become a member of the EU, then it will be possible to very easily cancel it, revise, transform or adopt a new one,” Garibashvili said. At the same time, he claimed that “there is no consensus a country can become a member of the EU today” because … Read more
The rules would require NGOs, campaign groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents of “foreign influence.” If adopted, Miller said, the measures “could limit freedom of expression, stigmatize organizations that deliver these benefits to the citizens of Georgia, and impede independent media organizations working to provide Georgians with access to high … Read more
The government says the move, which will apply to NGOs, campaign groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, is necessary to prevent undue influence over Georgian politics. Critics, however, liken it to Russia’s own foreign agent law that has been used to stifle dissent in the country, … Read more
As It Happens6:37So long, solar eclipse. An even rarer phenomenon is about to take over the skies Floyd Shockley is planning a road trip to witness a rare natural event that will darken skies across much of the United States — a convergence not of celestial bodies, but of two massive broods of flying, screaming, lustful insects. … Read more
“The law in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians benefiting from their work,” said the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, when Georgian Dream first introduced the bill. “This law is incompatible with EU values and standards,” he added. Attempts to … Read more
The Georgian Dream party on Wednesday revived the so-called foreign agent law, a controversial proposal to brand charities, pressure groups and opposition media outlets receiving funding from overseas as agents of foreign influence. The Georgian government already attempted last year to introduce the law — which resembles similar legislation used by Moscow to crack down … Read more
