The Daily Beat: 7 August
16 years ago today, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Georgia. As a result of the Russo-Georgian war in 2008, more than 30,000 people were internally displaced, Georgia lost 170 employees of the Defense Ministry, 14 employees of the Interior Ministry, and 228 civilians. The Russian occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali continues today.
Georgia’s friends and partners, including the EU countries, the U.S., the UK, and others issued statements, condemning Russia’s illegal occupation of Georgian regions, further calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops and reiterating support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On August 7, the anniversary date of the Russo-Georgia 2008 war, the Political Council of the ruling Georgian Dream party made a statement accusing the major opposition party, the United National Movement, which was in power at the time of the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, of “hypocritical PR campaign” around the war, and holding it responsible for “treacherous crimes” resulting in the “worst consequences.”
The US State Department has called on Georgian authorities to release critical Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who was arrested in Tbilisi on August 3 and now faces extradition to Azerbaijan, DC correspondent Alex Raufoglu reported. “We are deeply troubled by reports of Afghan Sadygov being detained in Tbilisi. We urge Georgian authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and release him expeditiously,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.
Opposition media reports suggest that the suspension of U.S. assistance has so far affected several areas of the health and justice sectors, prompting concerns among the general public. In particular, the funding has been cut to the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) and the Lugar Research Laboratory, which are critical components of Georgia’s public health system. In addition, USAID has stopped funding programs for the Constitutional Court.
