Nine Arrested in Batumi During Protest Against Russian Cruise Ship Arrival
On July 31, the police arrested nine people near the Batumi port where a protest against the arrival of the Astoria Grande cruise ship from Sochi was being held. The arrests were confirmed to Civil.ge by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to local media, one of the detainees is a Ukrainian citizen.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated: “Despite numerous calls by law enforcement officers at the port of Batumi, the participants of the rally did not comply with their legal demands, as a result of which nine people were arrested under Articles 166 and 173 of the Code of Administrative Offences. We call on the participants of the rally not to go beyond the limits of the freedom of assembly and expression allowed by law”.
The ship Astoria Grande, carrying participants of the cruise organized by a Russian music channel, departed the port of Sochi on July 29 and arrived in Batumi from Trabzon, Turkey, at 05:30 on July 31.
The demonstration in the Batumi harbor began at midnight after the police had erected barricades in the Batumi harbor before the cruise ship’s arrival. The protests continued throughout the night and resulted in physical confrontations between the police and protestors.
Around 10:20 a.m. on July 31, police escorted the Russian tourists into the city in buses, egged on by citizens.
The cruise also includes the Russian music group “Те100стерон” (“Testosterone”), founded by Valery and Andrey Birbichadze, known for holding concerts for Russian soldiers in recent years.
Belarusian singer Dmitry Koldun is also said to be on board. He is known to have performed in the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” in 2018. Although Ukraine has not imposed sanctions against him, the War and Sanctions website lists him as an active supporter of the Putin regime’s aggressive policies.
The first protest against Russian cruise ships occurred on July 27, resulting in the ship leaving Batumi ahead of schedule. The cruise ship “ASTORIA GRANDE,” flying the flag of Palau, had been scheduled to make stops in Batumi every two weeks. The ship is operated by the Turkish cruise company “Miray Cruises International,” and its arrival was announced to be “of a commercial nature.” However, following the protests by Georgian citizens, the company’s webpage indicates that it has removed Batumi as a destination from the future routes.
According to the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, the ship’s owner, “Goodwin Shipping Limited,” is registered in the Seychelles and, is therefore not subject to international sanctions.
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