The Daily Beat: 4 March
Today, March 4, the Batumi City Court remanded journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder and director of the online publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, into custody. The decision was met with a commotion in the courtroom. Amaghlobeli held a piece of paper with the words “Unjust Court” written on it. Judge Viktor Metreveli did not accept the defense’s request to lift the remand.
The Georgian Dream (GD) party has enacted several repressive legislative amendments that have received initial approval from parliamentary committees. These proposed changes impact parliamentary procedures, gender equality laws, the criminal code, public service regulations, and the broadcasting law. During today’s session, the GD parliament also approved the FARA in its first reading.
On March 4, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, accompanied by a GD delegation, arrived in Uzbekistan. During his visit, Kobakhidze met with the Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament of Uzbekistan), Nuriddin Ismoilov, and the Chair of the Senate Tanzila Narbaeva. The meetings are planned with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov.
“The Venice Commission is one of the most frivolous European structures… It has turned from a legal expertise center into an ordinary political body serving the interests of the Global War Party,” GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists in response to a question whether Georgia would consider the Venice Commission’s recommendation to review the recently adopted amendments to Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations. “We cannot take their conclusions seriously,” he added.
Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former aide to Bidzina Ivanishvili, announced on March 4 that he was “forced to leave Georgia.” Facing two lawsuits, he claims the charges are “fabricated” and part of “political persecution” and “extortion.” Bachiashvili blames Ivanishvili and various judicial figures, including Judge George Gelashvili and Prosecutor General Giorgi Gabitashvili.
The Data of the Day
Georgia’s annual inflation rate for February was reported at 2.4% by the National Statistics Service (Geostat) on March 4. In addition, consumer prices increased by 0.4% compared to the previous month. Geostat indicated that the annual inflation rate was primarily affected by price increases in several categories: miscellaneous goods and services (up 7.6%), health (up 5.4%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (up 4.7%), and food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 3.7%). Notably, the communication sector saw a decrease of 12.2%.