The Daily Beat: 25 January
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced two people, Akaki Chikobava and Giorgi Khasia, to pre-trial detention in connection with a forced eviction in central Tbilisi that resulted in physical assaults, property damage, and arrests. Two convicted individuals who are charged with damaging or destroying another person’s property were among the protesters opposing the eviction of the family by enforcement officials in central Tbilisi.
The Road Department of the Regional Development and Infrastructure Ministry contracted the compromised company RTD Ltd. to rehabilitate a section of the Igoeti-Kaspi-Akhalkalaki highway. Less than a week ago, Tbilisi City Hall canceled a contract for reconstructing Tsereteli Avenue with RTD Ltd. due to problems in meeting deadlines, sparking public criticism of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
The Georgian delegation supported the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, “The situation of the children of Ukraine,” assessing the deportation of Ukrainian children during the war as genocide of the Ukrainian people. In an unexpected move, members of the PACE delegation from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Khatia Tsilosani and Givi Mikanadze, who usually prefer to abstain or skip voting on Russia-related resolutions in past two years, also voted in favor of the anti-Russian resolution, calling on Council of Europe member states to consider the deportation of Ukrainian children as genocide.
A group of doctors rallied in front of the old building of Tbilisi Central Hospital, which will be demolished soon. Doctors claim they risk losing jobs and urge to hold bigger rallies near the health ministry and government administration. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili recently assured the doctors that “none of them will be left without a job, and all of them will be provided with an alternative offer of employment or an unprecedented decent compensation.”