The Daily Beat: 3 July
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the authorities in Tbilisi to transfer Georgia’s ex-President and Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care, saying Russia is killing Saakashvili at the hands of the Georgian government. Zelensky also instructed his foreign ministry to protest against the abuse of imprisoned Saakashvili and ask the Georgian ambassador to leave Ukraine in 48 hours for further consultations. Zelensky’s critical remarks came following Saakashvili’s online appearance at the court session.
Zelensky sanctioned additional companies and individuals two days ago, adding the flagship Georgian carrier “Georgian Airways” and its head Tamaz Gaiashvili to the sanctions list. The foreign ministry expressed concern over Zelensky’s sanction decision, labeling it groundless and summoning a Ukrainian envoy for explanations. Georgian Airways recently resumed direct flights to Russia and announced launching transit flights for Russians heading to Europe.
The Georgian Orthodox Church issued a statement in response to Tbilisi Pride Week, scheduled for July 1-8, calling for legislative action against “the attempts to implant perverse lifestyle.” The statement reads that the Pride Week events would have a “negative influence even if held indoors.” Patriarchate contends that “LGBT propaganda” ideology is unacceptable, particularly in a country with “deep-rooted Christian values and a centennial cultural heritage.”
In the meantime, the first event of Tbilisi Pride Week kicked off on Sunday. Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, opened the pride event in a show of support and solidarity for Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community. International partners took to Twitter to welcome the launch of the Week, which is being held indoors this year for safety reasons.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, with 78 votes in favor and 14 against, overrode the President’s veto of amendments to the electoral code, altering the procedure for electing the chairman and members of the Central Election Commission.
The de facto Cabinet of Ministers in the occupied Tskhinvali Region unanimously approved revised rules for weapon use along the occupation line, allowing the shooting down of Georgian drones during line protection. De facto authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali Region argued this decision by Tbilisi’s escalated use of unmanned aerial vehicles across the occupation line.
According to the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS), Georgia has announced a one-year delay in opening its electricity market, raising concerns of international partners, including the EU. The Georgian government adopted the resolution on June 29, 2023, postponing the launch date initially scheduled for July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024.
