The Daily Beat: 1 April
A year-long joint journalistic investigation of “The Insider,” “60 Minutes,” and “Der Spiegel” suggests that the Russian military intelligence (GRU) unit used non-lethal acoustic weapons in Tbilisi, causing anomalous health incidents, also known as “Havana Symptoms” in US diplomats. A joint investigation revealed two cases in which Russian spies targeted US diplomats using acoustic weapons in Tbilisi. Investigation claims that one of the prime suspects involved in these mysterious attacks on US diplomats is identified as Albert Averyanov, a member of the GRU unit 29155, responsible for sabotage and assassinations abroad.
The ruling Georgian Dream party publicly appealed to the US Embassy in Tbilisi, requesting to lift US sanctions imposed on Georgian judges, citing an absence of any legal basis for their imposition. Leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, said that so far, the Georgian authorities have not seen any evidence confirming the relevance of the sanctions, let alone any conditions and actual basis for their imposition. MP Mdinaradze further claimed that the Georgian Dream is “categorical” in its request to remove sanctions. In May last year, the US Department of State sanctioned four top Georgian judges for “significant” corruption.
The Georgian Dream and party Girchi which holds four seats in the Palriament, struck a deal envisaging the cancelation of women’s quotas from the party lists of the parliamentary elections. According to the agreement, the ruling party will support Girchi’s initiative to remove women’s quotas from the party lists. In exchange, The Girchi will vote in favor of the GD candidate for the position of Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairperson. The current edition of the Election Code provides that at least one person must be a woman in every four of any party list submitted to the chairperson of the CEC.
A group of CSOs reacted in a joint statement to the postponement of the trial of Lazare Grigoriadis, saying that the consideration of the criminal case against him has been “unreasonably and groundlessly” protracted. The CSOs further claim that “there is growing suspicion” that he will not be able to enjoy fair justice “at the hands of the judicial clan closely linked to the political leadership.” On March 28, the Tbilisi City Court again adjourned the trial of Lazare Grigoriadis, citing the defendant’s physical absence in the courtroom as he wanted to participate in the trial remotely.
