The Daily Beat: 23 January
A dramatic eviction in central Tbilisi turned into a tense standoff between the law enforcement authorities, the apartment residents being evicted, and a group of protesters opposing the eviction. Following hours of resistance, enforcement officers supported by the police force finally managed to evict the family, reportedly injuring several protestors and journalists. Later in the day, the interior ministry confirmed the detention of 18 individuals for disobeying police orders and disturbing public order. Another two individuals were arrested under the Criminal Code of Georgia for damaging the car of the National Bureau of Investigation. One of the detainees was journalist Gela Mtivlishvili of Mtis Ambebi, who was released on parole later in the evening of January 23.
President Salome Zurabishvili criticized the eviction, saying that “evicting people during winter and in snowy conditions, damaging their property, insulting their dignity, and promoting usurers are unacceptable.” She also emphasized that such actions are against European values and pointed out that the eviction of people in winter is prohibited in all European countries.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics also reacted to the dramatic eviction in Tbilisi, condemning the fact of physical assaults on journalists covering the event and calling on the interior ministry to punish the guilty police officers. “The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics strongly condemns the facts of physical attacks on journalists. Such acts of the police encourage violence against journalists in the country, where dozens of crimes committed against journalists are still not investigated,” – reads the statement, adding that such incidents undermine Georgia’s aspirations to the European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange of the United Arab Emirates. According to the official press release, the parties discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation, Georgia’s investment potential, and the importance of developing relations with Gulf countries. During the meeting, Abdulla Nasser Lootah invited PM Garibashvili to participate in the World Governments Summit scheduled in Dubai on February 12-14.
The Maritime Transport Agency reported that on the night of January 20, the crew of the Lider Halil ship, including the Georgian captain and two sailors, rescued 34 people from the migrant boat in the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Crete. According to the Agency, the Lider Halil ship was contacted by the rescue service of the island of Crete, which informed it that there was a migrant boat with about twenty-five people in its vicinity asking for help. The successful search and rescue operation lasted 3 hours and began immediately under the command of the Georgian captain, Vazha Jangveladze.
The Interior Ministry reported arresting five people linked to the criminal underworld. According to the Interior Ministry, five individuals were arrested for participating in criminal gatherings, supporting the activities of the criminal underworld, requesting assistance from crime bosses (thieves in law), and organized extortion. Arrests were carried out in the capital, Tbilisi, and the western Georgian region of Imereti.
