The Daily Beat: 9 December
In a Facebook announcement, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili addressed the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, pledging that “everything will be ok, and there will be no chaos, instability or change in the political agenda.” “That is why I call, once again, for the violence and aggression to stop, for the process to return to the course of political life. The elections have just ended, people have expressed their will freely, and the result has been fair. Everyone, both inside and outside the country, must accept this fact,” urged the Speaker against the backdrop of ongoing mass arrests and beatings of demonstrators, journalists, and opposition representatives.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, parliamentary majority leader, announced that “an amendment to the Law on Civil Service will be introduced, which will simplify the issues of reorganization in the public sector.” He said, “This solution will make civil service more healthy.” Governments in Georgia often used the formal pretext of “reorganization” to create artificial redundancies and ease out the dissenting officials.
Saba Chankvetadze, a peaceful demonstrator who was arrested on December 2 and beaten so severely that he had to be taken to a medical center for treatment, was fined 2200 GEL for petty hooliganism and disobeying a lawful order. Another demonstrator, Luka Kotiashvili, was also subjected to police brutality, beaten in a police car, resulting in serious head injuries, got fined 2000 GEL on administrative charges of disobeying lawful orders. For more updates on the brutality of the Ivanishvili regime, visit our blog: Chronicle of Repression.
Former Georgian Defense Minister David Kezerashvili stated that he has won a legal dispute with the BBC over defamation, adding that the British Broadcaster has removed all content related to him, including investigative reports, articles, and other materials from its platforms that had accused him of involvement in illicit financial activities. In a Facebook post, Kezerashvili explained that BBC has withdrawn all investigative reports, articles, and materials from its platforms, effectively ending what he described as a two-year “defamation process.”
The foreign ministry reports that the newly-appointed minister Maka Botchorishvili held a meeting with the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, and discussed “the recent difficulties” in EU-Georgia relations. According to an official press release, Botchorishvili emphasized the need for cooperation based on mutual respect, while also noting the importance of European integration.
EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, condemned the violence against demonstrators and journalists in Tbilisi and said that the EU has put all options on the table to discuss the possible consequences for the Georgian authorities at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on December 16. Steps to be discussed include sanctions and suspension of visa-free travel for some categories of passports.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced the UK will reduce its support and engagement with the Georgian Dream government in response to the recent crackdown on protests in Georgia. According to David Lammy, the UK suspends all program support to the Georgian government, restricts defense cooperation, and limits engagement with the representatives of the Georgian Dream government.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Representative, Joe Wilson called for immediate sanctioning of Bidzina Ivanishvili. “The illegitimate puppet government of Georgia continues to brutally crack down on Georgians. I urge immediate sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream cronies. We cannot stand by and allow Georgia to fall into dictatorship against the people’s will,” said Congressman Wilson.
U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan met with Georgian Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani to discuss the importance of the public defender’s office in protecting Georgians’ rights. The U.S. Embassy statement stresses that all those responsible for the violence must face consequences and that all detained protesters must be released. “Those responsible for the brutal and unjustified violence, including against demonstrators, media representatives, and members of the opposition, must be held accountable,” reads the US Embassy statement.
The Data of the Day
The National Statistics Office published preliminary data, indicating that the foreign direct investment reached USD 197.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. This marks a 55.2% decrease compared to the adjusted data of the same period of 2023. Geostat notes that a decrease in equity and reinvestment is the main reason for the FDI decrease.
The Netherlands topped the list of foreign direct investors with USD 60.2 million (30.4% of total investment), followed by Malta with USD 58.3 million (29.5%) and the United Kingdom with USD 55 million (27.8%). The top three investor countries collectively represented 87.7% of total investment.