The Daily Beat: 13 February
The European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution regarding the “Further Deterioration of the Political Situation in Georgia,” which received an overwhelming majority of 400 votes in favor, 63 against, and 81 abstentions. This resolution urges the European Union to refrain from recognizing the Georgian Dream (GD) government. It also calls for sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, his elite entourage, high-ranking government officials, judges, and media owners aligned with the regime.
Following the European Parliament’s adoption of a critical resolution on Georgia on February 13, the political council of Georgia’s ruling party said the resolution is “against Georgia and the government elected by the Georgian people” and that the European Parliament cannot be “taken seriously.” “Either the “deep state” destroys the EU, or the EU finds the strength to get somehow rid of the “deep state’s” influence,” GD said in a revised reference to the U.S. Donald Trump’s words from 2023.
Paata Burchuladze, a renowned opera singer, has been fined 5,000 GEL (approximately 1,798 USD) for allegedly obstructing the road during his 70th-anniversary procession on February 12. The march, which took place from the Tbilisi State Concert Hall to Rustaveli Avenue, was organized after the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre refused to provide a venue for his anniversary concert. For more updates on anti-regime resistance, follow our live blog.
According to the online media outlet Publika, the Interior Ministry has taken legal action against their journalist, Aleksandre Keshelashvili. Keshelashvili was severely beaten by law enforcement officers during a protest on November 29, 2024. He was covering a demonstration outside the Parliament when masked officers from a special task department detained him. Allegedly, he was subjected to severe physical violence and was later placed under administrative arrest.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled against Georgia in the “cable case” (Glonti and others v. Georgia), determining that there were violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically regarding the right to a fair trial. The case involved five former officials from the Defense Ministry and General Staff, who were accused of misusing GEL 4.1 million in an alleged fraudulent tender for laying fiber-optic cable in 2014.
According to the Georgian Dream’s Defense Ministry, GD Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani participated in the 26th meeting of the Ramstein Group in Brussels, at NATO’s headquarters. The meeting brought together defense ministers and senior officials from NATO member and partner countries. For the first time in his capacity, the gathering was chaired by the UK’s Secretary of State for Defense, John Healey, who opened the meeting.