
The Daily Beat: 22 January
President Salome Zurabishvili, who attended Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, participated in an Atlantic Council event on January 21. During the event, she discussed the current situation in Georgia, as well as Russia’s influence in the country. She also shared her expectations and hopes for U.S. policy toward Georgia under the new administration.
During the European Parliament debate, MEPs discussed the deteriorating political situation in Georgia. The majority of MEPs sharply criticized the actions of the Georgian Dream government, the elections on October 26, and the repression of demonstrators. European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, opened the debates on Georgia, stating that “violence and hate speech against protesters, politicians, media representatives, dismissal of public servants, and threats against Salome Zurabishvili are completely unacceptable.”
In solidarity and support of Mzia Amaghlobeli, another detained protester, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, has started a hunger strike. Netgazeti reported that the information was confirmed by Javakhishvili’s lawyer, Elguja Avsajanishvili. Javakhishvili is charged with participation in group violence which pertains an imprisonment of 4 to 6 years. For more updates on anti-Russia protests, visit our live blog: Resistance.
Natia Mezvrishvili, a member of the opposition party Gakharia for Georgia, wrote in a Facebook post that the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi informed her that they no longer have a copy of the video footage from the January 15 attack on Giorgi Gakharia, the leader of the opposition party. Mezvrishvili suspects that the footage may have been “destroyed or falsified,” suggesting a possible cover-up involving both, the hotel and the government.
On January 22, the State Security Service (SSSG) reported that Aleksi Mamulia and Ivane Japiashvili, who had been illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces, had been released and are now in the Tbilisi-controlled territory. The two were detained late last year near the village of Kvemo Nikozi, Gori municipality. The occupation regime accused them of assisting a military deserter from the war in Ukraine Vladimir Mamardashvili, to get into the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
It has been nearly two years since Levan Ioseliani assumed the position of Public Defender of Georgia. His time in office has been marked by controversy, with his stances on important issues sparking debate and drawing criticism from both inside and outside his office. Recent statements made by Ioseliani regarding the October 26 elections, police brutality, and the mistreatment of protesters have faced backlash from civil society organizations (CSOs) and demonstrators. In this piece, Civil.ge explores the contentious activities of the ombudsman.