The Daily Beat: 20 June
Prior to the Vilnius NATO summit, opposition lawmakers lodged a joint letter to the Head of the NATO liaison office in Georgia, Alexander Vinnikov, recalling and reiterating the country’s aspirations for NATO membership. In a joint letter, the undersigned opposition MPs noted that NATO membership is the primary tool for strengthening Georgia’s independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty based on broad political and public support. They also expressed full solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia, saying that the war in Ukraine is a continuation of ongoing aggression that started in Georgia.
US Embassy reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision, upholding Nika Gvramia’s prison sentence. The Embassy reiterated its concerns and questions regarding the Gvaramia case in its statement. “A functioning democracy depends on protecting media freedom and prohibiting political prosecution. Even the perception of selective or politically motivated justice puts Georgia’s European future at risk, undermining the rule of law, constitutionally protected human rights, and democracy itself,” – said the Embassy.
Levan Berdzenishvili, a liberal-minded scholar and literature professor, was attacked in central Tbilisi. An unknown young man threw eggs and swore at him, calling him a traitor. Ruling party-affiliated media have targeted Berdzenishvili for allegedly distorting Georgian history, particularly for the lack of respect towards King Erekle II of Georgia, whom he criticized for aligning the country with Russia in the 18th century. Berdzenishvili believes that the incident was politically motivated and instigated by the government.
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the amendments to the organic law “On the National Bank of Georgia,” increasing the number of the bank’s executive board members by establishing the position of first vice-president. The proposed amendments were criticized earlier by experts, NBG and IMF, who said they effectively eliminated the role of the NBG Board as an independent supervisory body.
In Gori, a man who attacked the leader of the Girchi-More Freedom party, Zurab Japaridze, was sentenced to pre-trial detention over the violence charges.
According to the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), after 2.5 years of deliberations, the Interior Ministry is ordered to pay GEL 30 000 for moral damages and GEL 1,155 monthly lifetime alimony to a protester injured during a rally on 20-21 June 2019 in Tbilisi.
The Tbilisi City Court declared illegal the dismissal of the former TV host of a prime-time news show, Georgy Gabunia, from Rustavi-2 TV company and ordered the TV company to pay him compensation. Currently, Giorgi Gabunia is the acting director of the Mtavari Arkhi TV channel.
