FM Comments on Recent Developments

Georgian Foreign Minister and Deputy PM, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, called for refraining from “spilling emotions into streets”, condemned outdoor screenings of leaked 2011 videos of detainees’ sexual abuse and also said that the judiciary should do everything to avoid question marks over ongoing court case into Rustavi 2 TV ownership dispute.

“I want to request and call on everyone to maximally refrain from spilling emotions into streets, because it may lead to extremely negative consequences,” he told journalists on October 23, referring to a specific incident in which a pro-government group confronted Irakli Kodua, a businessman and a brother of former high ranking police official from the previous government, in Tbilisi on Thursday.

It was the latest in series of incidents in which pro-government groups were holding this week rallies outside offices of UNM party in various towns across the country during which, in some places, UNM offices’ doors were nailed or welded shut and in some locations offices were graffitied or red paints thrown at them and windows shattered.
 
These incidents took place after a graphic video of sexual abuse of two detainees by law enforcement officers that took place in 2011, when UNM was in power, was posted on October 17 on Ukraine-based video sharing website. The video was from the cache found by the current authorities in 2013 in Samegrelo region. 11 people were convicted, some in absentia, in connection to that case of torture of detainees. The video footage was leaked just after polls, showing sharp decline in support of GD ruling coalition, were released, prompting allegation by government opponents that the authorities leaked the video to distract public attention from unfavorable polls and to give ruling coalition politicians a reason to speak again about those crimes that were committed when UNM was in power. Pro-government groups organized outdoor screening of these graphic videos in downtown Tbilisi and Zugdidi on October 18, which was condemned by the Georgian Public Defender, civil society and rights groups. In Zugdidi the event was attended by city mayor Irakli Gogokhia of the GD ruling coalition.

Commenting on screening of the recording, Foreign Minister Kvirikashvili said: “Distribution of videos depicting violence is absolutely unacceptable for me.”

“This [distribution and public screening of these videos] is a return to a terrible past, which Georgia has gone through. We should turn this page once and for all. I do not know who is doing it – that’s really not in the interest of the government… I distance myself categorically from screening of such things in the centers of municipalities and cities,” Kvirikashvili said.

On court case over Rustavi 2 TV ownership dispute, he said: “Media freedom is the essential value… Our government remains committed to this value.”

“I don’t know who will win the case, I am not aware of legal details of the case, but whoever it might be, even the most biased editorial policy can bring much less damage to the country than even a slight suspicion over media freedom that may emerge among our [foreign] friends and partners,” he said.

“I also want to address leadership of the Rustavi 2 TV and those who are of opposite views, that the country should once and for all [reach the point], where a court verdict will be acceptable for everyone whether we like it or not,” he said.

“But the judiciary should also do its utmost, including through additional mechanisms if necessary, in order not to cause even a single question among our partners and friends in this regard,” Kvirikashvili said.

The Foreign Minister’s remarks were in sharp contrast from those of PM Irakli Garibashvili, who spoke on these issues at a government session on October 22.

On video footage of detainees’ sexual abuse, the PM criticized those who were making focus on how these videos were leaked, instead of speaking about “what was going on in Georgia for years” when UNM was in power.

On UNM, the PM said “aggression” against the former ruling party is “natural” following the leak of videos of sexual abuse of detainees. He said: “They [UNM] should be grateful for the fact that over the past three years people have not done to them the same what is depicted in these videos – my remarks might be rude, but they deserve it.”

On Rustavi 2 TV dispute, the PM said the plaintiff in the case, Kibar Khalvashi, former owner of the broadcaster, who tries to reclaim his shares in the Rustavi 2 TV, took the case to court in order to achieve “justice” and restore his rights over “seized property”.