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The Daily Beat: 15 January

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister under the Georgian Dream (GD) government, and Zviad Koridze, a journalist and a member of the TI-Georgia were physically assaulted on the night of January 15, at the same venue – the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi, although in two separate incidents. Gakharia was hospitalized after the incident.


While other opposition representatives and journalists condemned the physical assault on Giorgi Gakharia, officials from the Georgian Dream (GD) party claimed that he instigated the conflict and allegedly attacked GD political figures. Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the GD and leader of the parliamentary majority, publicly warned Gakharia that he could face serious charges if it is confirmed that his attack on GD officials was politically motivated.


The United States Embassy in Tbilisi has strongly condemned the Georgian Dream party’s ongoing violence against opposition leaders, journalists, civil society members, and protesters. In a statement on Facebook, the U.S. Embassy criticized actions aimed at intimidating Georgians from exercising their fundamental freedoms.


British Ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, has also expressed deep concern over extremely worrying developments in the country, calling on the Georgian Dream authorities to hold those responsible for the violence to account. “Renewed violence against opposition politicians and arbitrary detention of journalists and protestors is unacceptable,” reads the Ambassador’s statement.


On January 15, hundreds of Georgian companies participated in a three-hour nationwide strike. Protest banners appeared in Tbilisi, urging public participation to highlight the potential consequences of Georgia’s international isolation under the GD government. The action encompassed various businesses, including SMEs, shops, universities, and larger firms. Strikers demanded the release of all imprisoned protesters and new elections.


Government-paid thugs, known as Titushky, have physically and verbally assaulted employees from various companies participating in a nationwide strike. The incident occurred in central Tbilisi, where video footage captured the Titushky wielding batons. In contrast to several previous occasions, Titushky were unmasked and can be identified by police, which previously claimed the identity of masked attackers was difficult to establish.


In a Facebook post, the EU Delegation to Georgia expressed concern about the consecutive detentions of Georgian citizens, including Batumelebi/Netgazeti director Mzia Amaghlobeli and Batumelebi cameraman Guram Murvanidze. The EU condemned these arrests, emphasizing the importance of protecting fundamental rights and freedom of expression.


On January 14, several dozen Georgian television and online media outlets went on strike from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This action was taken in response to a court decision to place Mzia Amaghlobeli in custody. A banner displayed during the strike on television screens and media websites featured Mzia Amaghlobeli in a courtroom, with the message: “This is what Georgia will look like without critical media. Freedom for Mzia Amaghlobeli and all prisoners of the regime. We have gone on strike.


In response to the question posed by Dutch MEP Reinier van Lanschot at the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Marta Kos, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, indicated her commitment to prioritizing Georgia and promised increased support for civil society organizations and media. “I personally would love to put Georgia higher on the agenda,” the commissioner told the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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